Death's Champion
by ThePenandtheSword98
Summary: Harry Potter fulfilled his destiny, but it cost everything he held dear to him. As Death's Champion he's being asked to do it all over again, and this time he'll get the chance to have the family he always wanted. Will Harry once again emerge victorious or will his friends and family pay the price for his failure? Alive James/Lily. Adopted from Bigfan22 Harry/Daphne/OFC.
1. The Story of What Happened pt1

**THIS STORY WAS ADOPTED FROM BIGFAN22 WITH PERMISSION! CHAPTERS 1-19 WERE WRITTEN BY HIM WITH ONLY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS BY ME! ONLY FROM CHAPTER 20 ON BELONGS TO ME!**

Death's Champion

**Rating M:** Violence, Profanity, Torture, and Lemons in the future

**A/N: I've read quite a few Harry Potter fics on this site, and this story just popped into my head. Hopefully you guys will enjoy it. The first two chapters just explain what happened. Everything picks up with chapter 3. If anyone else likes the idea, feel free to use it, but let me know so I can read what you come up with. I just want to warn everyone from the get go that this is a SUPER Harry vs SUPER Voldemort fic. That means BOTH of them will be seriously OP. There will also be several cliches in this story. With over 700,000 HP fics on this site, sadly most stories will contain some cliches. It's my hope that I will be able to provide a new twist to these commonly used ideas.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter

**Chapter 1: The Story of What Happened pt1**

Eighteen-year-old Harry James Potter sat patiently in front of his simmering potion, waiting to add the next batch of ingredients. As his eyes continued to look down upon the mixture in the black cauldron in front of him, his mind began to wander, and he thought about his past.

Unlike most children, Harry only knew peace for a short period of time. After the death of his loving parents, Albus too-many-fucking-names Dumbledore destroyed the last chance of him ever having a normal childhood, by placing him with his magic hating aunt, uncle and cousin.

The next ten years of Harry's life were not spent living but trying to survive. His new family's hate for him was so great, their treatment of him would most likely make a Malfoy house elf envious of their own situation.

From the time he was five, Harry was expected to cook for the family, clean up after their messes, help with the gardening, and pretty much do all the work his lazy aunt should have been doing in his stead. In return for his prodigious efforts as the family's pseudo-slave, he was lucky to be given a cupboard under the stairs to sleep in, and the scraps of his fat family's meals to quench his ever-present hunger.

After years of suffering through physical and mental abuse, of being called a freak and a waste of oxygen, Harry looked forward to leaving the confines of his "prison" and going to school. While not as brilliant as his future friend Hermione, Harry was far from being considered stupid and he was easily the brightest child in his own school.

When he brought home his first report card and proudly presented it to his uncle, he silently prayed his relatives would see that he wasn't a failure, and hoped they would finally give him the love and attention he so craved. His dreams were shattered once his uncle Vernon's face turned purple with rage, and he was accused of being a no good cheat for beating his precious Duddikin's scores. The beating that followed the yelling was easily one of the worst he ever suffered at the hands of his overweight guardian. To this day his back bore the scars he received from his uncle's belt.

Once his beating was complete, he was tossed back into his tiny room, and he silently cried through the pain of two broken ribs, a dislocated left shoulder and a back that was torn apart by the merciless strokes of his uncle's belt. If he could trace back the moment he stopped considering the Dursleys family and yearning for their attention, Harry knew it would be that day.

With his intentions in regard to his relatives firmly implanted in his young mind, Harry continued with his journey to survive the living hell he was forced to be in. Over the next six years, he tried to stay out of any trouble. He worked when he was told to, avoided his cousin and his gang whenever possible, and most of all, he continued to learn in secret. While he made sure to always keep his scores barely above passing, Harry absorbed the knowledge he was given like a sponge.

To avoid being caught in his cousin's favorite game, Harry hunting, the young boy spent all his time locked away in the school library. Over time he became a favorite of the old woman that ruled over the library, and often sought her help to understand material that was supposed to be years ahead of him. His desire to learn was so extensive, on the few days where his chores were limited and done quickly, he would often make his way to the public library near his house and continue with his self education.

By the time his eleventh birthday came around, Harry was secretly several terms into his secondary school studies. He knew his escape from the hell he was in could only occur once he was of legal age, and so he did everything he could think of to make sure his future would be better than his past or present.

It was the day after his birthday, that all his plans for the future came crashing to a stop. The arrival of an owl carrying a letter addressed to him rocked his world. When he read he was accepted into a school of Magic, Harry suddenly realized what all the strange occurrences throughout his life really meant. He...was a Wizard.

Unfortunately his uncle Vernon saw the letter before he could hide it, and tore it up right away. At first Harry thought his chance to learn Magic was lost to him, but over the next few days, their house was literally bombarded with owls carrying the same letter. To escape from the insanity that was plaguing their home, his aunt and uncle decided to go somewhere else for the rest of summer.

That's when Rubeus Hagrid made his way into his life. The first time he had seen the half giant break through the door of the shack his relatives were hiding in, Harry was utterly mesmerized by the size of the man. Well over eleven feet in height, the half giant had a red beard that hung down to his stomach and a thunderous laugh that could wake the dead.

His eventual rescue from his uncle and aunt by the large man, led Harry into Diagon alley, and heralded his return into the Wizarding world. It was during this time that he learned of the truth behind his parent's death, and how his survival allowed the Dark Lord's tyranny to finally come to an end.

While Harry was still uncomfortable with his newfound fame, the awe of returning to the Magical world more than made up for the unease he felt at being ogled by anyone who could recognize the lightning bolt scar on his head. By the time September 1st finally arrived, the young boy couldn't wait to begin his magical education, and with the assistance of a nice redheaded Wizarding family, he made his way onto the Hogwarts Express.

The Journey to his new school brought forth introductions to several people that would play a pivotal role in his new future. The first would be Draco Lucius Malfoy. A pureblood bigot, the blonde pounce was the only sprog of pureblood princess Narcissa Druella Malfoy nee Black, and formerly "Imperiused" Death Eater, Lucius Abraxus Malfoy.

Draco, the future Prince of Slytherin initially tried to make an overture of friendship towards young Harry, but his attitude and demeaning comments reminded Harry so much of his relatives, that it was easy for him to toss aside any chance at a friendship with the arrogant boy. While Harry and Draco failed to become friends on that trip, their first argument definitely led them to becoming arch rivals for the duration of their stay at Hogwarts.

The second important person that Harry would meet on the train, was Ronald Bilius Weasley. Born as the sixth and youngest son of the Weasley family, the redheaded boy was a jealous, insecure, insignificant prat, who somehow weaseled his way into becoming the first friend Harry had that was his own age, as well as the second member of a group that would go on to be called the Golden Trio.

If Harry knew then what he knew now, he would never have agreed to become best friends with the irritating redhead or even think to consider the boy's family as his own. The cost Harry paid for having the Weasleys in his life, was more than he was ever willing to pay.

The third and final important person Harry would meet on the train, while mentioned last, was in truth the one thing Harry held most dear from his association with the Magical world. Muggle born Witch Hermione Jean Granger was his best friend, confidant, rock, and the sister/family he always wished he had. Even though Hermione was just the first Magical person to come from her family, her intelligence and passion to learn Magic was so great, she eventually became known as the smartest witch of her age, as well as the third and final member of the Golden Trio.

Unlike most first years, the Boy Who Lived's first trip to Hogwarts set the tone for the rest of his stay in the Magical world. In a single train ride, he had found his best friend, his worst enemy, and the boy whose family would help to ruin his life. All things considered the happy go lucky lad who entered a new world, would soon learn that the world he entered wasn't the safest place for him to be.

Harry's first year at the school began with him continuing to hide his intellect and desire to learn from others. Since Hermione was a brilliant Witch and Ron was a lazy Wizard, to appease both of his new friends, he secretly kept his scores average on the theory while he allowed himself to excel on the practicals.

After an altercation with Malfoy during flying lessons, he was chosen to be on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and became the youngest seeker in over a century. The high of falling in love with Quidditch came screeching to a halt, once Halloween rolled around, and Harry was forced to fight against a mountain troll to save Hermione's life.

The escapades for the three friends continued to snowball throughout the year, and soon the Golden Trio found themselves involved in numerous hallway skirmishes with Malfoy, death stares in class from Snape, rescuing of a baby dragon from Hagrid, and for Harry, a fight with a deadly wraith in the Forbidden Forest. The craziness that was the trio's first year culminated into a life or death showdown over the Philosopher's Stone against a Voldemort possessed Quirrel.

The final fight was almost too much for an eleven year old Harry to handle, but thanks to his mother's sacrifice, the protection she left him allowed him to persevere. Whatever Lily Potter had done for her son, it burned Quirrel alive the moment he touched Harry. The death of the Professor not only chucked the wraith form of Voldemort out of the castle, but it also led to the unfortunate destruction of the Philosopher's Stone. In the end, the Golden Trio's actions on behalf of the school, led to them receiving last minute House points and a Gryffindor victory for the House Cup.

Summer after first year was horrible for Harry. As soon as he entered Privet Drive, his things were confiscated and he was locked inside his room, only to be let out for the loo and to do his daily chores. After repeated attempts to contact his new friends, Harry was dejected by their lack of response. His problems were further compounded by the arrival of a house elf named Doby.

The crazy elf warned Harry about returning to Hogwarts for his second year and refused to take no for an answer. While the presence of the strange elf explained Harry's mail woes, he refused to heed the warning he was given, and continued to plan his return to the Magical school.

Fortunately for Harry, the rest of his summer was not wasted, due to the Weasley twins and Ron coming to his rescue. With the use of their dad's flying car, the three brothers broke through the bars on his bedroom window, and whisked him away to the Burrow until the start of school.

Second year started more lively than the first, with Harry and Ron missing the Hogwarts Express, only to show up to school while driving Mr. Weasley's flying car and crashing it into the Whomping Willow. The unfortunate stunt cost them both several weeks worth of detentions, and also fifty points apiece for the House Cup.

The new year also meant the presence of a new DADA teacher, and with Lockhart teaching, two things were easily evident...the female population would swoon in his presence, and that no one was going to learn defense that year.

The year took a drastic turn for the worse when the Chamber of Secrets was opened again. Between students turning up petrified, Harry learning he was a parselmouth, and the entire school calling him the next Dark Lord and the Heir of Slytherin, the Golden Trio worked frantically to solve the new mystery. By the time the year came to an end, Hermione's name was added to a long list of students that were petrified, leaving Ron and Harry to solve the mystery and save the day.

The situation eventually got so bad that Dumbledore was removed from the school, and a few days later the Heir took a student into the Chamber itself. Once the unpetrified members of the Trio realized Ron's little sister was the student taken, the duo used all of their skills to track down the hidden Chamber.

The unfortunate presence of Lockhart during their rescue, made an already bad situation even worse. In an effort to flee from his duties to the school, the cowardly DADA Professor used an ill advised attempt to Obliviate Harry and Ron about their knowledge of the Chamber, with Ron's broken wand. The resulting spell backfired on him, causing the ceiling in the Chamber to drop, and separating Harry from the other two and forcing him to continue on alone.

With Ginny's life on the line, young Harry soldiered through and upon entering the main hall of the Chamber, he was forced to once again face off against Voldemort. While still a shade, the young Voldemort was able to call upon Slytherin's monster, and used the massive snake to attack Harry.

Unfortunately the young lion only had Fawkes and the Sorting Hat to help him, but somehow Harry managed to pull out the Sword of Gryffindor from the hat and used it to kill the Basilik. Even as the monster's fangs pierced through his arm and the deadly poison from its bite began to flow through his body, Harry pushed aside his pain to save his best friend's sister.

In a last second burst of adrenaline, Harry grabbed the diary that allowed the shade of young Voldemort to possess Ginny and destroyed it by plunging a Basilik fang through it. In turn he was saved from his own brush with death by the freely given tears of Dumbledore's Phoenix. The year ended with the Golden Trio's actions once again leading to House points and a come from behind Gryffindor victory for the House Cup.

The summer after second year started off much better than the year before, but it ended on a horrible note. After blowing up his uncle Vernon's sister in a fit of rage, Harry made his way to the Leaky Cauldron, where he eventually met the Minister of Magic and learned that Sirius Orion Black, the right hand of the Dark Lord Voldemort and the secret keeper that betrayed his parents to their deaths, had escaped from Azkaban and was now looking to kill him to avenge his fallen master.

Third year began with another near death experience for Harry, when Dementors boarded the Hogwarts Express, and one of them nearly kissed Harry and ripped out his soul. After a fortunate rescue from the new DADA teacher, Remus John Lupin, Harry once again found himself stuck in the school infirmary.

As the year continued Harry was nearly killed by Dementors interfering during a Quidditch game and the mystery surrounding Sirius Black was taken up to be solved by the Golden Trio. During the course of their investigation, they learned that Professor Lupin was once best friends with Harry's father, Black, and Pettigrew, that the quartet formed the famous pranking group that the Weasley twins tried to emulate, that Harry's father was a Stag animagus, and by the time the year finally came to an end, they learned that everything they had been told about Sirius Black was a lie.

Sirius never betrayed the Potters, because he was never their secret keeper. That honor had gone to Pettigrew, and the rat had shown his true colors by selling out Harry's parents to Voldemort, and then setting up Sirius to take the fall. With the entire Wizarding world agreeing Sirius was at fault, he was thrown into Azkaban without even receiving a proper trial.

After learning the truth behind the Potter's betrayal, the Golden Trio tried to help Sirius prove his innocence by capturing Pettigrew. But their efforts were foiled by the arrival of Snape and the full moon turning Lupin into a werewolf. In the resulting mayhem, Pettigrew somehow managed to escape and Sirius was caught by the Ministry.

With Sirius once again in custody, Fudge refused to believe in his innocence and ordered the immediate death of Harry's godfather. It was only through luck, and Hermione's fortunate access to a time turner, that the pair was able to rescue Sirius and allow him to escape before Minister Fudge could return with some Dementors. At the closing feast, Gryffindor once again won the House cup, but this time there were no last minute points to help them.

Summer after third year was painful for Harry, because he missed his godfather dearly. After learning the truth about the man's innocence, he dreamt of escaping the Dursleys and living with someone who actually wanted to raise him. Unfortunately his godfather's convict status and Dumbledore's inability to let him leave Privet Drive, prevented him from doing so.

By the time fourth year started, the Death Eater attack on the Quidditch World Cup was the talk of the school. But that news was quickly overshadowed by the announcement of the Triwizard Tournament.

Since the tournament was only open to students who were of age, Harry was hoping he would finally have a danger free year at school. Unfortunately he was wrong. Once the Champions were announced during the Halloween feast, that singular day continued to terrorize Harry's life, and he suddenly found himself named as the fourth Champion.

Despite his best efforts to convince the staff and the students that he did not put his name into the cup, Harry was forced to compete in the tournament due to a binding Magical contract. As with years past, the students of Hogwarts were quick to blame Harry for ruining the tournament, and once again the teachers did nothing to help the situation. During this time the trio was briefly broken up due to Ron's jealousy, but unlike the others, Hermione stood by Harry through all of it.

Through the course of the year, Harry learned about the first task from Hagrid, out flew a dragon to retrieve a golden egg, once again became friends with Ron, solved the mystery behind the second task, went to the Yule ball with fellow Gryffindor Parvati Patil, swam through the Black lake to retrieve his on again/off again mate Ron, and finally ended the third task by agreeing to become Co-Champions with Cedric Diggory.

The moment the two Champions touched the cup, they were expecting to return to their awaiting fans, but instead they were portkeyed to a graveyard in Little Harrington. Over the next hour Harry was forced to endure watching the death of Cedric, the resurrection of Voldemort, and the arrival of his Death Eaters. After being crucioed several times by the newly revived Dark Lord, Harry eventually dueled the man, and in a stroke of luck he managed to get to the portkey and used it to take him and Cedric's body back to Hogwarts.

Upon his arrival, he immediately told Dumbledore and Fudge what happened at the cemetery, and while the headmaster didn't doubt his story, the Minister refused to believe a word he said. The year ended with Gryffindor once again in the lead for the House Cup, but with the death of a beloved student, and the threat of the Dark Lord's return, no cup was awarded, and no one gave a damn.

The summer after fourth year was brutal for Harry, and thanks to Dumbledore he was once again on his own. After repeated attempts to contact Ron, Sirius, and Remus, Harry was hurt when he learned the headmaster had prevented anyone from writing him, in fear that the letters would be traced back to Privet Drive by the Death Eaters. Luckily Hermione refused to heed the headmaster's instructions, and through letters and phone calls, his best friend continued to support him as much as possible.

Harry's troubles after the tournament were compounded, when he was forced to defend himself and his cousin against two "rogue" Dementors that somehow appeared at Privet Drive. His use of magic was instantly recognized by the Ministry and he was ordered to appear in court to determine whether his wand would be snapped.

The court date was his first contact with the anyone over the summer, and thankfully the charges were dismissed once it was proven he didn't violate the Statute of Secrecy by performing magic in front of a squib and his cousin.

When September 1st arrived again, the Golden Trio finally returned to Hogwarts for their fifth year, and Harry was made aware of the smear campaign the Ministry had run against him and Dumbledore over the summer. With Rita Skeeter leading the charge, the sheep that made up the magical community were quite ready to accept that the headmaster had gone senile and that the Boy Who Lived was nothing more than an attention seeking brat that was lying about the Dark Lord's return.

Once the new year started, Harry was quick to have his run in with the Ministry appointed DADA teacher, Delores Jane Umbridge. Between detentions writing "I will not tell lies" with a blood quill, painful dreams from Voldemort through his cursed scar, and running the Defense Association secretly from Umbridge and her Inquisition Squad, Harry and his friends were kept busy.

As with the rest of his time at Hogwarts, Harry's fifth year ended with a bang. After receiving a "vision" that his godfather was being tortured at the Ministry by Voldemort and his Death Eaters, Harry along with several of his friends went to go rescue him. Their rescue attempt turned into a trap set by Voldemort, and in an intense fight for their lives, Harry and company rescued the prophecy the Death Eaters were searching for and managed to hold off Voldemort's inner circle long enough for the Order to arrive.

The resulting battle between the two groups was vicious, and Harry watched in fear as his godfather fought against his cousin and Voldemort's top Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange. Despite being an expert dueler, Sirius took the fight lightly, and in a fluke accident the stunner that hit him sent him through the Veil and cost him his life. Harry was furious with Sirius' death and in a fit of rage, he followed Bella into the Ministry antrum only to find that Voldemort had joined the fight. Before he could even begin to attack the man who had ruined his life, Dumbledore arrived and dueled the Dark Lord himself.

The incredible feats of magic that the two Wizards were able to accomplish, made Harry realize how ill prepared he was to face a Wizard as powerful as Voldemort, and how lucky he had been to survive the times that he had. The duel between the two powerhouses lasted long enough for the Minister and the Aurors to arrive and see for themselves that Voldemort had returned.

When the fight finally ended, the headmaster escorted Harry back to his office, and told him the truth behind why he was targeted by the Dark Lord. After hearing the prophecy, Harry was furious at how little Dumbledore had done to help him become ready to face his supposed destiny. His anger only grew when he realized that the lack of information directly led to him falling into Voldemort's trap and resulted in the death of his godfather.

By the time the closing feast arrived that year, the school was made aware of Voldemort's return, and once again the House Cup went Gryffindor. Much like the year before, the mood throughout the school was somber, and the winner wasn't announced, and once again no one gave a damn.


	2. The Story of What Happened pt2

**Chapter 2: The Story of Happened pt2**

The summer after his fifth year, was the darkest of Harry's young life and it was also the time during which he learned how many people had betrayed him. Dumbledore had once again prohibited Harry from contacting anyone and the young Wizard was prepared to suffer through another summer loneliness. That was when he received a letter from Gringotts.

Once he realized the letter was in regards to Sirius' will, Harry was going to write a reply politely refusing to attend, but instead the letter turned into a portkey and he was transported directly to Gringotts.

Harry was initially confused about his sudden arrival at the bank and allowed a goblin to usher him into one of their private rooms. The moment he walked in, he was stunned to see Remus and Tonks were also present. The trio quickly realized that they were all portkeyed to Gringotts, and Remus and Tonks' apprehension over the situation, made Harry worry as well.

A few minutes later a Goblin entered the room, and told them they were there at the orders of Sirius Black. He had paid for the emergency portkeys to summon the three individuals, the moment the Will notice was sent to them. The trio weren't sure what to expect from the Will, but what they learned that night shocked them to their core.

The Will began with Sirius formally allowing Tonks and her mother to return to the Black family. At the same time he also annulled the marriages between Bella and Rudolph Lestrange and Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy, for both pairs violating the terms of their marriage contracts. He demanded the goblins retrieved the dowry and all moneys borrowed from the Black family, including Malfoy Manor which was given to Narcissa as a wedding present. Harry, Remus and Tonks howled with laughter at how much chaos Sirius was able to cause, even after his death.

Once the trio settled down, the reading continued and Sirius gave Tonks, her mother and Remus a million galleons each. With the other two members complete, the rest of the Will was dedicated to Harry.

In his final act as Harry's legal guardian, Sirius emancipated him, and give him the rest of the Black fortune, as well as his title as Lord Black. If the Will had ended there, it would have been a pleasant surprise. Instead the goblins brought out a memory sphere and played out the final message Sirius left for Harry.

"_Hey pup. If you're hearing this, then I'm dead. I'm so sorry for leaving you, Harry. My stupid hotheaded decision to go after Peter that night, cost you your childhood. I failed you as your godfather, but with my dying breath, I want to try to rectify that mistake. _

_The majority of the people you trust don't really care about you at all, Harry. I'm sorry to tell you this, pup, but it's true. I know you don't want to hear it, but the Weasleys, Dumbledore and most of the Order don't care about you at all._

_After being stuck at Grimmauld place for so long, I began thinking about everything that's happened and a lot of things didn't add up. Dumbledore is the single most powerful person in the Wizarding world and yet he did nothing to help me. I might be able to believe that he didn't fight to get me a trial when everything first happened, but now that he knows the truth, it wouldn't take long for him to get me a Veritaserum trial. Hell, if the Ministry wouldn't do it, as the Supreme Mugwump he could have gotten it done easily with the ICW. Once they proved my innocence, the British Ministry would have been forced to accept it. But he didn't and I couldn't figure out why._

_Over time as the Order made Grimmauld their home base, I picked up little tidbits of information that concerned me. Molly Weasley has your Gringotts key, and over a few weeks she made liberal use of your money. At first I thought she was buying things you had asked her to, but all the things she brought back were for herself, Arthur or her children._

_I know Dumbledore wanted me to stay at Grimmauld, but my trust in several of the Order was slowly deteriorating. I wrote a letter to the goblins asking for a portkey, and when I was free, I went to Gringotts to check through your finances. As I am still your listed guardian, the Goblins gave me a full accounting of your trust and family vaults, as well as access to your parent's Will. I don't know how to tell you this pup, but Dumbledore and the Weasleys screwed you._

_The Potters are an Ancient and Noble House, and easily one of the richest in the entirety of the Wizarding World. When I checked through your financials, I was stunned by what you had left. Before your parents died, I know for a fact that the Potter fortune was around 120 million galleons. Over the past thirteen years Albus has removed close to 87 million galleons from you family vault, and Molly Weasley has taken out over 3 million during the same time. From the paperwork the Goblins were able to show me, it seems the entire Weasley family is in on it. They each have a separate account with monthly deposits that come straight from your trust account._

_I know this is bad, Harry, and I'm sorry to say that it gets worse. I was furious with how much access the Weasleys had to your account and when I asked how it was possible, the Goblins showed me a marriage contract between you and Ginny Weasley that was signed by Molly, Arthur and Dumbledore a year after your parents death. Somehow Dumbledore got the Wizengamot to name him as your Magical guardian, so technically what he did is legal._

_The contract Albus and the Weasleys created, is unbreakable and it clearly states that you would have to marry Ginny by the time you were both of legal age. It also stipulates that the Weasleys are allowed the use of charms, potions and compulsions to get you to agree. What's worse is that once the two of you are married, the Ancient and Noble House of Potter would become the sworn vassal to the Magical House of Weasley in perpetuity. I'm not sure if you know what that means, but as long as there is a Head to the Weasley family, you and your descendants are forced by Magic to do their bidding. I know for a fact the Arthur's father swore the Weasley family to become vassals to the Magical House of Dumbledore during the war with Grindelwald, and so the Potters would fall indirectly under Dumbledore's family. As far as I can tell, the only people you're really close to that aren't involved in this mess, are Remus, Tonks and your friend Hermione._

_It's probably a good thing that I was at Gringotts when I learned about this, because anywhere else and I would have blown up everything in my path. I can't even begin to imagine how angry you must be, pup. Luckily there is a way around the supposedly unbreakable contract. The contract is currently between Ginnerva Molly Weasley and Harry James Potter. It's a well known fact that magically binding contracts require a persons full and complete name. While technically the world knows you as Harry, your official birth certificate lists you as Hadrian James Orion Potter. As your godfather, your parents honored me by adding my name to yours. Not only was this done to give you a connection to me, but it was also done to prevent someone from forging a Will or Contract in your name. Without your full and complete name, the Magic won't bind you to the contract. So, as unbreakable as this contract is, it's useless against you._

_Luckily the Goblins are now aware of what's happening to you, and they are doing their best to recover everything they can for you. The last time I spoke to them, they were able to track down a little over two million galleons from the various Weasley accounts and another twenty five million galleons through the Dumbledore and Order accounts. I'm not sure what he did with the rest of your money, but the only thing I can think of is that he used it to fund the Order._

_I know this is a lot of information coming your way, but you need to be ready pup. I don't know the full details, but I've been able to piece together bits and pieces about a prophecy between you and the Dark Wanker. Considering how important you are to Dumbledork's plans, I think it's safe to say you are probably the only one who can beat him. Now you have a choice to make._

_The moment I died, the goblins initiated my plan for you. Minus Grimmauld Place, I have instructed the Goblins to sell all Black properties and liquidate all my assets. It was always my intent to be with you when this happens, but sometimes fate doesn't care about what you want. As of now the entire Black library has been moved into my family vault, and only you can access it. _

_Currently the Black fortune comes out to a little over 180 million galleons. You have a choice now, Harry. I know you haven't been given a chance to live your life like you want, so now I'm giving you a choice. You can legally claim both the Potter and Black Lordships. As an emancipated minor that has taken his O.W.L.s you don't have to go back to school. You can just take the money and move to another country. Enjoy your life as much as you can, and settle down and start the family I wish I could have been around to see._

_If you decide that you can't leave this fight, then I've arranged for the Goblins to help you. They have a device that once you enter, it allows you to live in another dimension. Time moves differently while you're there, pup and if you decide to do this, you will spend the next six years training with the teachers the Goblins have found for you. By the time you're done, only six weeks will have passed in the real world and no one will even know that you're gone. _

_I know you're worried about Dumbledore finding out about you being missing from Privet Drive, but the Goblins will have someone polyjuiced to pretend to be you. I have been assured that the person is an adult squib who is well versed in combat, so your relatives shouldn't be any problem for him. I'm also positive Dumbledore will have you on lockdown, but if someone writes to you, the squib will be able to at least reply on your behalf and hopefully keep them guessing. I know the Order members that are assigned to watch you have instructions to keep their distance, so the polyjuice should work on them too. As far as the useless wards around your house are concerned, the Goblins have taken a look at them, and if you give them a vial of your blood, they have a method to fool the wards while you're gone._

_If you decide to go the Goblin route, this help won't come cheap, pup. It will cost you a 100 million galleons, but you will be taught by the best. I looked through the files of the teachers the Goblins found for you, and you will definitely be trained by the best from around the world. During your time in the other dimension, you will be taught Advanced Transfiguration and its uses in battle, Occlumency/Legilimency, Advanced Charms, Duelling, Potions, Hand to Hand combat, Sword fighting, Combat spells, Basic Healing, Wizarding Law, and Animagus training, if you have an animal form. Once the contract between you and your teachers is complete, they have all agreed to be Obliviated of any knowledge of the person or people they were hired to teach. You won't have to worry about anyone leaking this information to Dumbledork or his Order of Chicken members. This deal also includes a complete physical with the Goblin healers and removal of any Charms, Compulsions or Potions that are affecting you._

_The number of people doesn't really affect the price too much, so if you have people you really really trust, you can bring them and the Goblins will just charge you for the extra food. I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you, Harry. I know haven't been there for you, but I love you like a son. The moment I held you in my arms, you smiled at me and I instantly fell in love with you. I wish I could have done more for you, pup. I'm sorry I haven't been the godfather that you needed or deserved. I'm sorry I let you down. But please promise me something, pup. Promise me you will live your life. Whether you decide to let someone else fight this war, or fight it yourself, once you're done, promise me you will find someone to love and settle down with. Have a shit load of kids and name one of them after me. Teach them the Marauder ways and don't join me and your parents until you have great great grandkids. Goodbye Harry. Take care of Moony, Tonks and Andromeda for me. I love you."_

Once the memory sphere came to an end, it was safe to say the three human members in the room were stunned by the revelations they just heard. Before Harry could even begin to rage against the betrayals he learned about, the Goblin quickly directed the trio towards one of their healers.

During each of their checkups, Tonks and Remus found multiple Obliviations, and loyalty potions keyed to Dumbledore. Harry's physical found the same and a whole lot more. By the time the healer was done, they discovered several doses of love potions keyed to Ginny, loyalty potions keyed to Dumbledore and the Weasleys, a 40% Block on his magical core, and a horcrux embedded within his cursed scar. The Goblin healer assured them that the potions and Obliviations could easily be reversed and the same went for the Block Dumbledore placed on Harry. What concerned them was the horcrux.

After several hours of deliberation with other healers on the Goblin payroll, Harry was given a choice. He could opt to remove the horcrux to another item which would be destroyed later, or he could choose an option that would be significantly more painful, as well as life threatening, but potentially more rewarding. If he chose the second route, the Goblins would try to leech all the information the horcrux contained, before transferring it to another item. The pain was described as being equivalent to a crucio, and it would last as long as it took to remove the information. Unfortunately once the process was started, they couldn't stop without causing permanent damage to his brain.

It took another two hours of yelling and screaming with Tonks and Remus, but finally he convinced them that the second option was the best for everyone. The more information they had on Voldemort, the quicker they could end this war and move on with their lives.

Once the Goblins were made aware of his decision, they took several samples of his hair, gave it to the squib who would pretend to be him, and portkeyed him back to Privet Drive. They then moved Harry into one of their overnight rooms, and began to cleanse his blood of all the love and loyalty potions. The process took a little over twenty four hours, and then the healers began to break down the Block on his core.

While time consuming, a little over ten hours, Harry was thankful the process wasn't too painful. After what he agreed to do with the horcrux, he didn't need any more painful procedures to add on to the misery he was about to endure.

The Goblins waited two days before starting on the horcrux. Harry wasn't sure how long the procedure actually took, but he felt like he was screaming for days. Thankfully the process was complete after two hours, and the healers immediately put him into a magically induced coma to give his body time to heal.

By this time Tonks and Remus had been cleared of their conditions, and they used the time Harry was out commission to go to Hermione's house and explain to her what was happening. From what Tonks told Harry, Hermione was so furious with Dumbledore and the Weasleys, it took both her and Remus to stop her from taking the Knight Bus to Grimmauld place and hexing the lot of them.

Eventually she calmed down again, and agreed to go with Harry for his training. She forced Remus to use his influence as a Professor to get her parents to let her skip out on the yearly family vacation. Luckily for everyone involved, since the Grangers didn't have to be back for their daughter's return to Hogwarts, Remus and Hermione managed to convince them to turn their vacation into a second honeymoon and extend their trip until after Hermione started sixth year.

A day after Hermione moved into one of Gringott's guest rooms, Harry was revived from his Magical coma. When the Healer was done checking through his core, she was stunned by the readings she received. The Block placed by Dumbledore had done permanent damage to Harry's core, and he would never reach his true potential. Since Magic in children matured during three key times, 10, 13 and 16, the years of neglect had atrophied parts of his core, and he would permanently lose a high percentage of it. How much was lost, couldn't be determined until the patient underwent his/her maturity. Despite that, the healer couldn't believe how high Harry's Magical Power Index still was.

A normal MPI for an average Witch or Wizard, was between 60-100. Above average Witches and Wizards like high ranking Aurors, Hit Wizards or Unspeakables, usually came in around 110-180. The two strongest MPIs currently recorded in Britain were Albus Percival Brian Wulfric Dumbledore at 210 and Thomas Marvolo Riddle at 235. Unfortunately once he became Voldemort, Riddle used several Dark spells and rituals to increase his MPI to 265.

Harry's MPI came out to 175 and he was still fifteen years old, with a damaged core to boot. The healer knew he was still a month away from his sixteenth birthday, and had still not gone through his Magical maturity. Once he did, she wouldn't be surprised if he reached 190 or even 200 on the MPI scale. Without a Block limiting his growth over the years, she shuddered to think how powerful he would have been. After going through his maturity with a healthy core, she could easily see him come in at the 270-280 mark.

It took another two days for all the teachers to arrive, and Tonks and Remus used that time to convince Albus to give them some time away from the Order. Remus so he could get over the loss of his best friend, and Tonks so she could recover from the wounds she suffered at the D.o.M and to help Remus with his loss. Albus was naturally reluctant, but when the pair pushed, he relented. With all their bases covered, the group saw no reason to wait any longer, and they made their way into the Time Chamber.

The first few days in the alternate dimension, were hard on Harry. Between gaining extra power that he wasn't used to, and having his mind filled with Voldemort's memories, he was having a tough time concentrating. Eventually it was decided that he would need to learn the basics of Occlumency before he could go through with the rest of his training.

While Tonks, Remus and Hermione dove into their sessions with the various teachers that came with them, Harry spent the next month learning how to meditate and catalogue his and Voldemort's memories. The process was brutal for him, and most nights he would need a Dreamless Draught just to get into bed. Luckily he had tons of support between his friends and his teacher, and by the time his birthday rolled around, Harry had gone through both his and the Dark Lord's memories.

It was disgusting for Harry to see the things Riddle had done to gain power. His memories gave him all of Voldemort's knowledge up until the moment the killing curse destroyed him, and so he knew who all the DE were. He knew where Voldemort kept his secret caches of money, potions and equipment. But most importantly, he knew where all of Voldemort's horcruxes were. That knowledge gave Harry some hope. Now that they knew how he survived as a wraith, he knew they finally had a way to get rid of him for good.

Once his Magical maturity was complete, and the Goblin healers that accompanied the group gave their okay, Harry eagerly joined his friends in the various classes. Between the knowledge he gained from Voldemort, and his own innate ability to master spells easily, Harry soon began to excel in all the classes.

After six months in the Chamber, and the close proximity the group often found themselves in, Harry and Hermione began to act out on the strong feelings they always had for each other. The romance only lasted a few weeks, but eventually the pair realized that while they loved each other immensely, they weren't "in love" with one another. Remus and Tonks were a bit sad that the couple didn't work out, but it did lead to both of them getting involved.

As time passed, the four students continued to pour all their energy into their studies. While Remus and Tonks only concentrated on a few things, Hermione and Harry pushed themselves with all of their teachers. By the time they were ready to leave the Chamber, all four members of the group were ready for the war that was coming.

Remus who already excelled at DADA, used his time in the Chamber to improve his Transfiguration to Master status. Tonks who was already good at Transfiguration thanks to her Metamorph ability, used her time to excel in her dueling and improved her Charms work, so that it was head and shoulders better than what she ever thought possible.

However, the pair that had the most benefit from the six year learning experience, was Hermione and Harry. Hermione left the Chamber capable of being a Mistress of Transfiguration as well as Charms. She was also an accomplished Occlumence and thanks to her combat training, she was more than capable at hand to hand fighting.

Of all the people present, the one person who gained the most benefit from the Chamber, was Harry. Between the knowledge he gained from Voldemort, his own incredible power levels, his natural physical prowess in sports and battle, and his innate ability to pick up spells, Harry was more than capable of getting a Mastery in Transfiguration, DADA, Duelling, Occlumency/Legilimency, and shockingly, Potions. It was an incredible surprise for him to learn that without Snape hovering over him and ridiculing him in class, he was actually quite good at Potions.

While he was nowhere near Hermione's ability in mastering Charms, his Hand to Hand and Sword fighting teachers assured him that with a few more years of training, he would be able to receive a Mastery in those fields as well. Overall the quartet were quite pleased with their time in the Chamber, and now they looked to end the war as soon as possible.

Once the group had re-entered the normal world, Harry caught up with the current events in the Magical community. Thankfully Riddle and his Death Eaters had a quiet summer, but the same could not have been said for the Ministry. In a surprise but pleasant move, the Wizengamot had finally done something right, and ousted Fudge as the Minister of Magic. It was supposedly a close race to find his successor, but luckily Amelia Bones had beaten out Rufus Scrimgeour and Theodore Nott Sr. to become the next Minister of Magic.

Harry didn't know much about the new Minister, but from the little he learned, he was assured she was one of the few honest and trustworthy members in the Ministry. Happy to finally have an adequate person in charge, Harry put his training in Wizarding Law to use, and requested the Goblins to arrange for a private meeting between the Minister and the Head of the DMLE at Gringotts.

Luckily it was mid August, and since the final session of the Wizengamot had already been held, it only took three days to get Amelia and Rufus to the meeting. Needless to say when the pair arrived, they were surprised when they learned it was Harry who requested their presence.

It took Harry a little over three hours to explain everything that happened with the prophecy, Dumbledore and the Weasleys, but by the end of it, Amelia and Rufus were stunned at the new discoveries.

By the end of the meeting, Harry was able to convince Amelia to give him a special dispensation to fight in the war. It took a lot of convincing on his part, but once he was able to prove his knowledge and skills were up to the task, the pair finally relented. Since he had claimed his Lordships and was technically an adult in the Wizarding world, Amelia decided to give him a shot to test with the Unspeakables. If he passed, she would give him the writ to do whatever he needed to do, in order to win the war as quickly as possible.

A week later Harry took his test with two Master Unspeakables at the Ministry. By the time his testing was complete, they were so impressed with his abilities, they hoped he would change his status from temporary to permanent once the war was over. Harry politely declined. There was an entire life he wanted to live, and once Voldemort was taken care of, he had no intention of spending his time fighting Dark Wizards again.

With only a few days left before he had to return to Hogwarts, Harry decided it was time to destroy as many horcruxes as he could. With the diary and his own horcrux already taken care of, Harry only had the Resurrection stone, Ravenclaw's Diadem, Hufflepuff's Cup, Slytherin's Necklace, and Voldemort's familiar, Nagini to deal with.

Once he was ready to neutralize the soul anchors, Harry made his way to his account manager at Gringotts and cut a deal with the Goblins to remove the horcrux without having to destroy the item. It would cost him 15 million of the money he had left to cleanse all the items that could be salvaged, but Harry thought it was worth it to preserve a piece of their History.

Thanks to his memories, Harry recognized Slytherin's locket right away and from the little time he spent at the place, he knew it was at Grimmauld. Since he was now Lord Black, he didn't hesitate to call Kreacher to his manager's office, and ordered the elf to bring the locket to him.

Once the item was in his hands and he verified it did possess the horcrux, Harry gave Kreacher a sock and released him from service. The elf had been partially responsible for Sirius' death, and since he couldn't bring himself to kill the little bastard, he figured releasing him would be a fitting punishment.

As soon as Kreacher left, Harry summoned Doby and the elf was more than thrilled to bond himself to the Potter family. Before leaving the bank, Harry used his status as Lord Black and told his manager to retrieve Hufflepuff's cup from Bellatrix's vault, since he knew Voldemort told her to hide it there.

By the time September 1st came around, Harry had retrieved all the horcruxes except the Diadem which was at school, and Nagini who was with Voldemort in an unknown location. Amelia and Rufus were elated to learn that Voldemort was almost killable again, and told him they would keep him updated on all Death Eater activity.

Once he arrived at Hogwarts, Harry's first action was to retrieve the Diadem from the Room of Requirements and send it to the Goblins for cleansing. The next several months at school were incredibly trying for Harry. After learning of the Weasley betrayal, it took all of his Occlumency skills to speak civilly to Ginny and Ron. Luckily he was able to keep his distance from the pair, since Dumbledore was taking the time to teach him about Voldemort's past and to have him get information from Slughorn on the horcruxes.

During the time Harry spent pretending to do the mission Dumbledore assigned him, he learned some startling information from the blonde pounce of Slytherin. After doing a passive legilimency scan on Draco, Harry learned of his orders from the Dark Wanker. When he realized Voldemort planned to use the vanishing cabinet in the R.o.R to attack Hogwarts, Harry thought of the perfect plan to take care of Riddle for good. He quickly relayed the information to Amelia and Rufus, and after a day, he received a reply telling him his plan was a go.

The few months leading up to the Death Eater attack were dreadfully boring for Harry. After the amount of time he spent training with Hermione and on his assignment from Dumbledore, Ron and Ginny grew worried about the separation and became more forceful in their attempts to be with the pair.

While Harry knew he had to continue pretending to be friends with the two redheads, he refused to spend any more time with them than necessary. With Hermione's help, he was able to convince them that they couldn't help with Slughorn, and that Dumbledore wouldn't appreciate their interference. Unfortunately Harry couldn't use the excuse forever, and after delaying as long as possible, he eventually completed his mission and retrieved the horcrux memory from Slughorn.

The week before the Death Eater attack was scheduled to occur, Harry received the best news he heard all year. After a meeting with Dumbledore in his office, he found out the old bastard had gone to retrieve a horcrux by himself, and managed to get himself cursed. As soon as he had seen to replica of the Resurrection Stone on Dumbledore's table, he knew the old man had been arrogant enough to put on the fake ring.

When Harry took all the Horcrux items over the summer, he had been careful to replace the traps left around the stone. Since the stone and the locket were the only places Voldemort could check his horcruxes easily, Harry didn't want to tip his hat in case the Dark Wanker got paranoid about his anchors. After seeing the blackened skin on Dumbledore's hand, Harry was doubly happy that he had taken such precautions. For everything the old man had done to him in his life, Harry thought it was a fitting way for the headmaster to meet his end.

The night before the final battle, Harry implemented the first part of his plan. With Hermione, Neville, Susan, Luna and several of the DA members he trusted completely, the group attacked the Slytherin House. Harry used his parseltongue ability to override the door to the common room and the group systematically went through each of the rooms, stunning all the occupants.

Than using the Veritaserum Hermione purchased through the Goblins, they went through each of the Slytherin students and found which ones were going to participate in the attack. The process took up most of the night, but by the time the group was done, they had secured the help of the Slytherins that were unaware of the attack, and bound the remaining Slytherins in an empty class room that was sound proof, and warded against detection for the the next twelve hours.

The next day Harry, Hermione and the students that were aware of what was happening, were all a nervous wreck. The assault wasn't scheduled until lunch time, so Harry was easily able to make his way to the R.o.R and make the alterations Hermione had shown him, as well as move the cabinet to an empty and warded class room on the seventh floor. Thanks to his brilliant best friend, the changes he would make to the cabinet would still allow people to come through it, but it would fail to arrange their organs properly. In short, it was a one way ticket to the other side and a nicer way to die than the Death Eaters deserved.

When the attack on the Castle finally began, the teachers didn't have to take care of the students, since several of the upperclassmen had already been instructed to move the non combatants into the R.o.R.

By the time the Order and the Ministry had arrived, Voldemort's army was closing in on the Castle gates. During the brief wait, Amelia informed Harry that he was correct about the secondary assault on the Ministry, but she had taken his advice and moved all secure information and magical items to a secure location that was hidden under a Fidelius.

With all their bases covered, the Army of the Light was prepared for a final battle against the Dark Lord and his forces. That fight that ensued was the greatest magical battle seen in hundreds of years. While Dumbledore immediately made his move against Voldemort, Harry and the others launched their assault against the Death Eaters and the dark creatures that accompanied them. The entire time he was fighting, Harry kept his eyes open for Riddle's familiar. When he finally located Nagini, he released a stream of fiendfyre that not only killed the snake, but it also took out several of the werewolves that surrounded it.

Both sides fought viciously for their victory, and since neither side was willing to budge an inch, the death toll quickly increased. The ground was literally littered with dead students, Death Eaters, teachers, Aurors and Dark creatures. It was at this time that Dumbledore finally fell to Voldemort.

The curse from the stone has sapped too much of his magical core, and the old man was unable to block a killing curse from his opponent. Both forces were briefly stunned by the end of one of the most powerful men in history, and it was evident to Harry that the Light needed someone else to lead them. Before Voldemort could even gloat over his victory, Harry unleashed a stream of curses towards the smug Dark Lord.

The Light forces were surprised by the Boy Who Lived's audacity, but when they saw how well he was doing, it gave them heart to continue fighting. The duel between Harry and Riddle was brutal, and Harry was more than willing to use the Dark curses he picked up from Voldemort's memories. Eventually the fight came to an end, when Harry used his quickness to evade one of Riddle's more deadly spell combinations, and respond with a killing curse that shocked the Dark Lord as it him.

The moment Voldemort fell to his death, the remnants of his army either surrendered to the larger forces of the Light, or somehow managed to escape in the chaos. When Harry was finally able to look upon the battlefield in peace, he couldn't stop the tears from falling down his face. The cost of victory had been high for the Ministry, but for him, victory had cost him everything he cared about.

Hermione was dead and laid next to Luna's body. From the position they were in, it was obvious to Harry that the pair had been caught behind enemy lines. Despite the number of bodies that surrounded them, their skill hadn't been enough to escape. Remus and Tonks were further afield, and it pained him to see the bite and claw marks that tore apart their bodies. The pair must have been fighting Fenrir's pack, because he could see the dead alpha and a dozen of his pack surrounding them.

When his eyes finally found the Weasley family, he was disgusted by what he saw. The entire family had somehow managed to come through the battle in tact, and unlike the others their clothes lacked the blood, dirt and tears that marked those who actually fought in the battle.

It didn't take a genius of Hermione's magnitude, to realize the family had probably stayed back within the confines of the Castle. The moment he saw the family of redheads begin to make their way towards him, Harry apparated away from the battlefield.

It took days of drowning his sorrows in firewhiskey, before Harry finally made his way to Gringotts. Several months earlier, Harry decided he was going to leave Britain after the war, and since the Black assets had already been liquidated, he instructed his account manager to do the same for the Potter assets, minus the Potter Manor.

When he walked out of the Goblin bank for the last time, Harry walked away with 132 million galleons, the Potter Manor neatly held in a Goblin transport sphere, the entire library of the Potter and Black family, and most surprisingly, everything out of the Dumbledore family vault.

Apparently the old bastard had a backup plan in the event he couldn't get control of the Potter family through the Weasleys. In case Harry died before marrying Ginny, Dumbledore created a fake set of adoption papers, that were coincidentally signed by Harry, and made himself the beneficiary. Since Aberforth perished in the battle of Hogwarts, and Dumbledore didn't have any children, Harry didn't see any reason not to claim the vault as his own. After All, Dumbledore did adopt him into the family.

After the bank, Harry made his way to the Ministry. Thanks to Amelia Harry knew the Wizengamot would be in session today to choose new members for the vacant seats that were now available. The war had ended many pureblood families, and pureblood families like the Weasleys would be given a chance to achieve Noble status and take a seat.

As soon as he walked into the courtroom, Harry was impressed by the number of people that were present. The rafters were packed by people, and he could see Rita Skeeter and a large contingent of Press near the ground floor. His arrival was immediately noticed by Amelia and Rufus, and when the Weasley family was called upon as a possible candidate to Noble status, Harry objected.

He provided proof of the Weasley's attempt at line theft, and about their stealing from his vault. By the time he was through, the once Light family was looked down upon by the rest of Magical Britain. His actions that day cost Arthur and Percy their jobs at the Ministry. The Goblins were quick to release Bill for his actions and knowledge of the theft. When news of the betrayal reached Romania, Charlie quickly joined his brother as being jobless. Without Harry's backing, the Goblins called in the debt owed by the twins, and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was immediately put out of business. The final nail in Harry's retribution against the family of redheads, was the seizure of the Burrow. The Goblins were able to retrieve a little over 2 million from the various Weasley accounts, but since they couldn't return the rest of the money, the Wizengamot decided the Burrow should be destroyed and the land sold to pay back the savior of the wizarding world.

When he left the Ministry that day, Harry had no intention of ever returning to Magical Britain. Thanks to the memories he received from Voldemort, Harry knew of an island that Riddle bought early during the first war. Long before the Boy Who Lived came along, Voldemort and his Death Eaters were well on their way to victory, and the Island would help them keep control over the rest of the populace.

The Island Riddle purchased contained a small Manor for Voldemort's personal use, and thirteen massive Greenhouses that were filled with every type of plant that he could get his hands on. The rest of the Island was formed by a forest that was Magically expanded to rival the size of the Forbidden Forest near Hogwarts. Riddle spent years filling the forest with all types of magical creatures. Once he eventually won the war, it was his intent to control everything that was Magical. Without ingredients for Potions or Wands, all of Magical Britain would be dependent on him for its survival.

By Right of Conquest, Harry decided to claim the Island as his own. Since no one but Riddle even knew of its existence, he thought it was the perfect place for him to escape from the rest of the world. The past two years Harry spent alone on the Island, keeping himself entertained with his various projects. It was a lonely existence, and he knew it broke the promise he once made to his godfather's memories, but Harry just couldn't find the strength to leave.

When he felt the tears begin to fall down his face, Lord Harry James Potter-Black took a deep breath and banished all thoughts of the past from his mind. When he opened his eyes to continue working on his potion, Harry was stunned to find himself suddenly in the Gryffindor common room. Before he could think about why he was at Hogwarts, the door to the common room opened up, and the most beautiful woman he had ever seen walked in.

At 5'10" the stunning beauty was tall for a girl, and she easily towered over Harry's 5'5". The woman had silky black hair that hung down to her shoulders, and the bluest eyes he had ever seen. Her body was covered in a form fitting two piece female muggle suit, and Harry was mesmerized by the sway of her hips, as she made her way towards him.

Harry was snapped out of his stupor, when her arrival began to affect three particular items that he always kept in his possession. The Elder Wand, The Resurrection Stone, and his father's cloak that was in the Mole-skin pouch on his waist, all began to heat up the closer she came to him. From his studies, he knew the three items were supposed to be the Deathly Hallows. While he was ready to admit that all of the items were incredibly powerful, he never really believed they actually made one the Master of Death.

So it came as a huge shock, when the woman conjured a beautiful leather chair in front of him, sat down and said, "Hello, Master. It's good to finally meet you."


	3. The Meeting with Death

**Chapter 3: The Meeting With Death**

"Uh, I'm sorry, but who are you? Where the hell am I? And most importantly, why the hell are you calling me Master?"

Harry gulped softly as the friendly smile disappeared from the woman's face, and she replied, "Well, straight to business I see. I guess I should just answer your questions in order than. First, my name is Death. Yes THAT Death. I realize it's not the persona you were expecting to see, but this is me normally, so deal with it. Currently I have brought you into my realm, and I thought this room would help put you at ease. As for why I am calling you Master...it's because you are in possession of all three Hallows. As long as someone holds all three, they can prevent me from reaping their soul."

For some reason that he couldn't imagine, Harry knew the woman in front of him was really Death, and that she was telling him the truth. As her words slowly began to sink in for him, Harry couldn't believe the Hallows were real. He never thought anyone should have that type of power, and when he thought of why Death would want to speak to him, he figured it could only be about the items in his possession.

Quickly coming to a decision, Harry pulled off the ring that contained the Resurrection stone, grabbed the Elder Wand from his wrist holster and tossed both items to the woman in front of him.

"I'm sorry for holding on to those, mam, but I didn't think that the Hallows were real. If this is about me being your Master, then you have no need to worry, Lady Death. As far as I'm concerned, no one should have that type of power. You can have the other two Hallows back, but if possible I would like to keep my father's cloak. In return I promise when my time comes I won't make a fuss."

Harry wasn't expecting the silence and cold stare from the woman in front of him. After a minute he became uncomfortable with the continued glare, and said, " If that's all, could you send me back please. I was working on a potion, and I should be adding the wolf hair soon."

Death looked upon the young man that was facing her in surprise. For thousands of years she had been reaping the souls of mankind, and through those years she had seen few mortals that were truly pure of spirit. When she learned of her current predicament from her sister, Fate, Death asked her to help her find a Champion. Harry Potter from the Earth in Universe 3147, had been the person her sister sent to find. If his past actions had not convinced her, his current actions had more than shown that Fate had chosen the right Champion for her.

"You surprise me, Mr. Potter. Most of mankind is looking to find ways to escape my clutches, and yet here you are giving up your power over me so easily."

Harry shrugged uncomfortably under her piercing gaze. "Like I said before, ma'am, no one should have that type of power."

When Death slowly nodded her head in agreement, Harry silently let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"While your actions here are a pleasant surprise, this is not why I have brought you to my realm, Mr. Potter. I have need of a Champion, and my sister assures me that you are perfect for the role."

"You have a sister?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter. You may know her as Fate. She's quite whimsical really, but she's never steered me wrong before."

Harry was shocked by what he was hearing. Not only did he find out that he was the Master of Death, but now she wanted him to be her Champion too. The entire situation was so ridiculous, Harry did the only thing he could think of...he laughed.

Death watched as her hopeful Champion began to giggle slowly. A well manicured eyebrow moved slowly up her forehead, when the giggling turned into full fledged laughter. Here she was offering this mortal a chance at a better life by being her Champion, and he had the audacity to laugh at her? Unacceptable.

"Did I say something funny, Mr. Potter?," Death asked coldly.

The moment he heard her tone, Harry was filled with dread at the thought upsetting such a powerful entity. Hoping to appease her, he quickly controlled his mirth and replied, "My apologies, Lady Death, but I couldn't help but think how ridiculous this situation is. An hour ago I was living the life of a hermit on my Island, and now Death herself wants me to be her Champion. It's a lot to take in all at once."

"Very well, Mr. Potter," Death replied, her tone slightly less icy than before. "Now, will you agree to be my Champion?"

Harry's natural reaction was to say no, but he had come far from the boy who jumped head long into any problem. Now he actually liked to gather as much information as possible, before making said leap.

"What exactly do you need me for, my Lady?", Harry asked curiously.

"To kill Voldemort, Mr. Potter."

Harry was stunned by her reply. He knew he had destroyed all of Voldemort's soul anchors to this world. There was no way the snake faced bastard escaped his death at the battle of Hogwarts.

"That's not possible, ma'am. I destroyed all his horcruxes. Tom can't still be alive."

Death winced at his statement, and she knew it was her fault for not being more clear. "My apologies, Mr. Potter. You're absolutely correct. The Voldemort of this world is dead and I thank you for returning his soul to me. The Voldemort I'm speaking of is from another world. It is this man, that I am recruiting you to defeat."

"Another world?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter. The Earth you live on, is just one of many. There are millions of Earths in the millions of different universes that exist in the multiverse."

Harry couldn't believe he was being asked to kill another Voldemort in another world. He'd already paid the price for his victory. What the hell was his counterpart doing? If he could win with all the obstacles he faced in his life, he couldn't fathom why his counterpart wasn't able to do the same.

"Uh, I'm sorry, Lady Death, but why can't the me from that world kill him?"

Death was pleased the young Wizard was asking questions and not rejecting her offer right away. Wanting to be honest with her potential Champion, she didn't hesitate to answer his question.

"The other you can't defeat Voldemort for me, because in that world he is a psuedo-squib and the Boy Who Lived is actually Neville Longbottom."

"Wait what?! I'm a psuedo-squib? What the hell is that? And Nev is the Boy Who Lived? Don't get me wrong, I love Nev. He's a great bloke, but I'm not sure if he's up for the challenge."

"I agree with you, Mr. Potter," Death replied with a small smile. "A pseudo-squib is someone who is a squib due to their magic not working, as opposed to someone who doesn't have any magic to begin with. The other you has a rare medical condition that caused his magical core to twist upon itself. As a result he can feel the magic with him, but he can't get it to do anything."

Harry took a deep breath as he tried to take in everything he was hearing. If there were really millions of different worlds out there, and he really didn't have any reason to doubt Death, by the law of probability, some of those worlds had to end with Voldemort being the victor. If that's so, then why was this world's Voldemort so important?

"Why is this Voldemort so important, madam? If as you say there are millions of different Earths, there has to have been a few where Voldemort emerged victorious. What's so special about this one?"

Death wanted to be honest with her future Champion, but she didn't want to tell him about the power that could be available to him in the new world. If there was one thing the past 5000 years had taught her, it was absolute power corrupts absolutely. But then she remembered how easily Harry had given up his power over the Hallows, and with her sister's recommendation clearly in his corner, she knew she had to take a chance.

"This Voldemort is important, Mr. Potter, because if left unchecked, he will one day find an item that will grant him the ability to strip my power from me. As I'm sure you are aware, should someone of Voldemort's moral standards have my abilities, he will no doubt use it to subjugate all the worlds that I can go to."

"Merlin's beard," Harry cursed softly to himself. "What kind of item would give him such an ability."

Death was willing to trust and be honest with her Champion, but even she would not dare to tempt fate. "The item is not important, Mr. Potter. I don't need you to look for it, or try to destroy it. What I need you to do, is kill Voldemort before he has an inkling that something like that even exists."

Harry was a little hurt that she wouldn't tell him what the item was, but when he took a second to think about it, he realized he would have done the same thing if he was in her position.

"Just out of curiosity, why is that world's Boy Who Lived not capable of doing the job?"

Death gently massaged her head, when she heard the question. Neville Longbottom had been a pain in her neck in many worlds, and she cursed her sister for making him the Savior in the world she needed Voldemort to definitely lose.

When she saw Harry was waiting patiently for her reply, she sighed and replied, "In most of the worlds where Voldemort is a problem, the Boy Who Lived is usually you. You and your counterparts have a success rate of 92% in defeating the Dark Lord. In the worlds where Neville is the Boy Who Lived, the opposite hold true. With his failure rate, I can't leave this Voldemort up to him."

Harry momentarily allowed himself to bask in his and his counterpart's ability to defeat the Dark Wanker. It was nice to know he was good at fulfilling his destiny, no matter what universe he was in. Once he was done reveling in his glory, Harry seriously considered helping Death. Should any version of Snake face get ahold of Death's powers, he knew it would be bad for everyone.

The Gryffindor in Harry was screaming to jump up and say yes, but the Slytherin in him was urging caution. With Neville's success rate, Harry already knew he was going to say yes to Death. He couldn't risk Voldemort ever getting possession of her powers. But just because he was going to fight for her, didn't mean he couldn't try to get the best price for his services.

"I understand your predicament, Lady Death, and I might consider agreeing to become your Champion. But what are you offering me in return?"

When she heard his request, Death wanted to jump up and down with joy. She was now positive her Champion was going to fight on her behalf, and she was more than willing to make the deal as sweet as possible for him.

"The world I want to send you to is several years behind your own. While your world shares many similarities with the other one, they also have many differences. For instance, in the other world, your parents did not die on Halloween. While Peter still betrayed them to his master, Voldemort chose to attack the Longbottoms, and sent Bella, Rudolph, Rabastan and Crouch Jr. to deal with your family. Fortunately that night Sirius was visiting your parents, and when they arrived the three of them managed to defeat the four Death Eaters. Meanwhile Voldemort killed Neville's parents and he became the Boy Who Lived."

Death could see the hope flash across Harry's green eyes, and disappear just as quickly. The moment it did, she knew what was bothering him.

"You are concerned about your counterpart?"

Harry nodded his head in answer. "Than allow me to ease your worries, Mr. Potter. Your counterpart has spent the last several years pushing his friends and family further away from him. He is bitter at his being a squib, and over the years his attitude has only gotten worse. Even though he has found a way to treat his magical core, his future still looks bleak. Should he fail in fixing his malady, it will result in his death before his eleventh birthday. Should he succeed in fixing his core, the bitterness he developed only worsens as he gets older. By the time Voldemort makes his return, your counterpart will join him, and eventually he will rise through the ranks and become one of the Dark Lords most valued Death Eaters."

Harry couldn't believe the other version of him would join Snake face, but he didn't think Death would lie to him. He didn't want to take over someone's life, but if their only options were death or turn evil, Harry was willing to do it. "If I said yes, how would this work? Obviously I'm a lot older than the me in the other world. What happens to my body? Do I still keep my magic, or do I have to use his?"

"Since you will be living in the new world, you would have to leave your current body behind. Once your counterpart's soul leaves his body, I will push your soul and magical core into his. This should not only blend your abilities with his, but the merger of his core with yours, should also fix the problems Dumbledore caused by blocking your core for so long. If anything, it might even make you stronger than what you might normally have been in your original world."

The merging of the two cores was pretty straight forward for Harry, but the abilities part still confused him. "What did you mean about blending our abilities, Lady Death?"

"Parselmouth is an ability you gained when you defeated Voldemort for the first time on Halloween," Death explained. "It is now a part of your magic, and will be passed down to your future descendants. Also, all of the skills you have gained in your eighteen years, will be added to the skills your counterpart's body already possess."

"What skills does my counterpart possess?," Harry asked curiously.

Death snapped her fingers and a small brown file suddenly popped into her hands. She flipped through it and said, "Your counterpart is smart, Mr. Potter. If you need a point of reference, he's probably smarter than your friend Miss Granger. He's also very adept at Runes. At the age of 9 he discovered a way to allow magic to work with Muggle electronics, but kept the discovery a secret. He's also quite good at investing. A true moneymaker."

Harry was stunned that a little kid had discovered something that people in his world still hadn't figured out. But what caught his curiosity was the point Death made about investing. He could see a kid that was smarter than Hermione figuring out runes, but he couldn't understand how a kid his counterpart's age could be good at investing. Kids that age rarely had access to enough money to make an investment worthwhile.

"Sorry to interrupt ma'am, but how does a little kid even get enough money to work the market?"

Death flipped through a few more pages in the file and explained, "At the age of seven your counterpart determined since he was a squib, his parents would Obliviate him and send him to an orphanage once his Hogwarts letter failed to appear. While this wasn't true, and his parents loved him regardless of his magic, he still believed it. Since he didn't want to give up his knowledge of the magical world, he prepared himself to escape into the muggle world, rather than be Obliviated. Knowing he would need money, he wrote to the Potter accounts manager and asked about his trust fund. When he was born his parents deposited 5000 galleons into his trust vault. Every year since then, a 1000 galleons has been deposited. At the age of seven he had roughly 11000 galleons or 110000 pounds in his trust vault. While he wasn't allowed to withdraw money until he was eleven, he realized the rules didn't prohibit him from investing the money. After researching several muggle companies, he instructed the Goblins which companies he wanted to invest in and made enough money to open a separate account and return his original trust fund money with a fifteen percent interest."

Harry always believed Hermione was one of the smartest people he ever met, but he doubted even she could have done what his counterpart did. The little bastard may have been a Death Eater in waiting, but there was no question as to his brilliance.

"How much money did he end up making?"

Death knew Harry was a little put out by the younger Wizard's success compared to his own at the same age, and so she took a little joy in shocking her new Champion. "You will be taking over his body a month before his eleventh birthday, and by that time his investments will have earned him 14 million galleons. That's after he returned the original seed money plus interest to his trust vault."

"Merlin's balls, that kid is smart," Harry exclaimed in awe.

Death only grinned and nodded her head in agreement. "So, Mr. Potter. What do you think?"

Harry thought about the world she was offering him, and he had to admit the new world was better than his own. He didn't think he would ever be able to complete his promise to Sirius in his own world, but he just might have a chance in the new one.

"When it comes to Snake face, how similar is the new world to mine? Does he still have horcruxes? Are they the same?"

Death sighed because she knew this was the question she was truly afraid of. Not wanting to hide anything from her Champion, she continued, "Yes he has horcruxes, and yes they are the same. At some point you will have to remove the one in Mr. Longbottom to succeed. Barring any drastic changes you may make to the timeline, most of the events leading up to your fifth year should be the same in the new world. The major difference will come at the end of the third task in the Triwizard's Tournament. Instead of coming back in the mutilated body you dealt with, Voldemort will be reborn in a body more powerful than his original one."

Voldemort was tough a tough bastard to begin with, and Harry couldn't fathom him being even more powerful. "Why the new body?", he asked. "How much stronger will this body make him?"

"During the first war in your world, Mr. Potter, Voldemort only looked through a few of the tombs he stole from the families that he killed off. As such he poured most of his time into creating the Island you now live on. In the other world Voldemort was more thorough in his reading. He came upon an ancient text that allowed a person to create a Homunculus and then give it real life by adding a person's soul to it. The new body would require the willing deaths of a married Witch and Wizard, and once Voldemort's soul was added to the new body, his core would meld with the cores of the two others. Before he made his attempt on Mr. Longbottom's life, Voldemort had already sacrificed two of his followers to create the Homunculus. By the time he is ready to be reborn, his new body will have been magically aged to 25 years and he will be in the prime of his life."

The silence that followed was tough for Death. Thanks to Fate she knew Harry was her best bet to keep her powers, but she was afraid he would refuse to fight against such odds. All her doubts were put to rest, when she heard him say, "I'll do it, but I have some conditions."

Death was thrilled when Harry agreed to be her Champion, and she was more than willing to accommodate any reasonable conditions.

"Sure thing, my Champion," she answered happily. "What can I do for you?"

"First, a small question. How tall will I be in my new body?"

Death was a little taken aback by the random question, but she still went through the file Fate gave her. "Since your new body will be healthy, at the age you enter you will be 5'0" tall. At your peak physical maturity, you will stand at 5'8" in height."

Harry thought for a second and then replied, "My first condition is that I want to be taller once I reach physical maturity. I'm tired of having to look up to most of the people in the Wizarding world. Can you do it?"

Death shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head in agreement. "Sure. It'll be a sinch to stimulate the bones when I'm putting you into the new body. Any particular height you're looking for?"

"As long as I hit 6'0" I don't care."

Once Harry saw Death nod her head again, he continued with the second item on his list. "I also want to take everything I have in this world with me. That includes the Island I'm living on."

Death knew the second request was a little more extensive, but she decided it was still doable. "Fine. Once you're in the new world, I'll transport the Island and everything else you have here to a new location in that world. I'll leave the knowledge of the location in your mind. Anything else?"

"Just one last thing," Harry replied hesitantly. "I have some properties here that I didn't end up selling to the Goblins. They're quite valuable and I would like to get rid of them before I leave. My account manager made an offer for them, but I've been too busy to worry about it. I was hoping you could help me sell the properties before I leave."

Death was well aware that Harry wasn't normally so materialistic, so she found herself curious at his sudden desire to accumulate wealth. "That should be fine, Mr. Potter, but may I ask why this sudden concern you have for money?"

Harry blushed at the thought of Death thinking he was being greedy and replied, "You're pretty much giving me a second chance at life. With the knowledge I have now, and what I would gain once I blend with my counterpart, I have a real chance at making a difference in the world. If the new world's government is anything like the one from my world, than the Magical community has been stagnant for too long. If I can help drag them into the future, maybe there can finally be an end to the pureblood supremacists that rule our world."

Death smiled when she realized what he was planning to do. She recalled the talks he had with Miss Granger during their time together in the Chamber, and she applauded his decision to make a difference in the world. As long as he still took care of Voldemort for her, she was more than willing to help him achieve his goal.

Happy that her new Champion hadn't suddenly turned into a greedy bastard, Death snapped her fingers and a trunk suddenly appeared in front of her. "Here you go, Mr. Potter. The three properties have been sold to the Goblins, and the trunk now holds the 250 million galleons you received as payment."

"250 million?", Harry asked in awe. "The Goblins only offered me 150 million for all that land. How did you get so much?"

Death smiled smugly and replied, "You just have to know how to negotiate, Mr. Potter. Besides, with two gold mines and several deep reservoirs of oil that were found on the three properties, the land was easily worth more than 400 million. The Goblins were making a low offer, and they expected you to counter back. You never did. The price I got you was the best they could give at the moment."

Harry didn't know what to say. He got everything he wanted out of the deal, and Death didn't even hesitate to give it to him. Intellectually he knew he was getting paid for his services, but a part of him still felt like he was taking advantage of the situation.

"Thank you very much for your efforts, Lady Death. While I'm in the new world, would you like me to destroy the Hallows there as well?"

Death was slightly touched by his words, and smiled kindly at her Champion. "There is no need to do that, Mr. Potter. I rarely make the same mistake twice. The Hallows only exist in your world. In the new world you will go to, I never interacted with the Peverell brothers, so there is nothing for you to do."

"Wow. I wonder how my dad got through Hogwarts without his Invisibility cloak?"

"Oh, he still had the Cloak, Mr. Potter. It just wasn't as powerful as the one you have."

When she saw the confused expression on Harry's face, Death explained, "The cloak was actually created by the youngest Peverell brother. The man was a master at Enchantment, and I have no doubt he could have given Merlin a run for his money in that department. The cloak Ignotus created was quite powerful by itself, and it was more than capable of avoiding almost all forms of magical detection. It wasn't until I added my power to it, that I made it invisible to everything, even me."

Harry was happy that his dad still had the cloak, and offered Death a chance to fix his as well. "Since I already gave you the other two Hallows, if you want, you can take back your power from my cloak."

"Keep it," Death replied. "Without the other two Hallows it won't really effect me too much. Besides, after everything you've been through, you deserve it."

Harry grinned happily in response. He was glad he would be able to keep his advantage. "I'm ready when you are, ma'am. Just tell me what to do."

"That part is easy, Mr. Potter. All you have to do...is die."

Harry felt his eyes widen in surprise, but before he could do anything, Death's palm connected with his head and his world turned dark.


	4. A Chance at a New Life

**Chapter 4: A Chance at A New Life**

Harry heard a familiar sounding voice calling his name, and when he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see Death's blue eyes staring back at him. "Did something go wrong with the transfer?," he asked in fear. "Am I dead?"

Death grinned and shook her head. "Relax, Mr. Potter. You're fine, and we are currently speaking in your mindscape. I just wanted to let you know that everything went better than expected. Apparently my sister has taken a fancy to you, and when the transfer occurred, she allowed you to keep all of your counterpart's magic."

Harry was confused by the statement. "Wasn't that supposed to happen anyways?"

"No, Mr. Potter. I was expecting you to lose around half your counterpart's magical core during the transfer. Fate apparently had other ideas for you, and my sister decided to gift you with all of his magic. Once you get a chance to visit your Island, she left a book for you to explain your new powers. In the meantime I've placed two magical suppressors inside of your wrists. They should allow you to hide the majority of your power. After all, a ten year old that is more powerful than Dumbledore would definitely raise a lot of questions. Your magic has been flaring strongly for some time now, and since the healers have already taken several readings, for now I've set the suppressors to show your magical core to be equivalent to that of a third year Hogwarts student."

"New powers?"

"Ah, ah, ah. Sorry, I can't tell you anything, Mr. Potter. Fate wants it to be a surprise. Now, everything you own has been placed on your Island. Once you're ready, I'll download your counterpart's memories to your own. You still have some time before you will wake, so I suggest you take the time and use your Occlumency skills to shelve the new memories."

Harry really didn't have any more questions for his new boss, so he smiled politely and said, "I'm ready, ma'am."

Suddenly the image of Death disappeared from his mind, and he was bombarded with memories of his counterpart. As he quickly sorted through them, Harry realized what an ass the kid had been. He understood the boy's fear of being abandoned, but his actions had estranged him to so many people, Harry could only hope he would get a chance to build the bridges his counterpart had failed to do.

* * *

Harry opened his eyes and he was immediately blinded by the bright light in the room. His ears picked up the sound of someone crying gently by his bed. When he turned his head to see who it was, he felt his throat tighten at the site. There in front of him sat the mother he had always wanted to see. Her crimson red hair was a mess, and her tears fell continuously from her emerald colored eyes. By the look of the wrinkles in her robes, he knew she must have been there for awhile.

The last thing Harry wanted to do was lie to his mother, but he knew a few lies would be necessary in the beginning. Unable to see his mum cry anymore, he reached out and grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry for making you cry, mum, but I'm better now. I did it. I'm not a failure anymore. You won't have to send me away for being a squib."

Lily Potter was beside herself with worry. Twelve hours ago she received a letter from the Goblins that her son was being monitored for a risky procedure that he was doing to fix his damaged core, and that he would most likely not survive the process. Despite the distance that had grown between her eldest child and the rest of the family, she had never once given up hope that she would still have a chance to connect with her son. She knew her husband still held on to that same hope, but for him it was tempered with the reality that their son might never get over his bitterness at being a squib.

When she heard the soft sound of her son's voice, she looked down and saw his bright green eyes staring back at her. For the first time in years she could see the love he had for her, clearly written on his face. That sight alone was enough for her to wrap her arms around him and crush her son to her chest.

"Harry James Potter, what possessed you to do something like this? Why didn't you tell your father and I about what you were planning to do? Do you know how scared I've been that you would die tonight? How many times do I have to tell you that I love you. Whether you have magic or not, it doesn't mean anything to me or your father. We would never send you away from us."

Intellectually Harry knew he wasn't at fault for any of these things, but his mum's words still made him ashamed of his counterpart's actions. "I know I haven't been a good son, mum, and I'm sorry for pushing you guys away all these years. It's just the Wizarding world looks down on squibs, and I couldn't stop myself from thinking you would send me away. I didn't tell you and dad about this procedure, because I knew you wouldn't let me go through with. But I did it mum. I can feel my magic for the first time, and it feels great. I'm sorry for all the pain that I've caused the family, but if you give me another chance, I promise to be the son that you deserve."

Lily cried at hearing the pain in her son's voice. She always knew he felt bad about his magic, but she never realized how alone and afraid he really was. "Hush, sweetheart. You don't need another chance, because you never lost the first one. I've always been proud of you, and I love you very much."

"Do you think everyone else will give me a chance too, mum? I've been a right prat for a really long time. I was just afraid of getting close to them and then losing everyone. I want to make it up to dad, Padfoot, Moony, the girls and Daniel."

Lily laughed happily at her son and nodded her head. "They're your family, sweetheart. Of course they will forgive you."

Before she could continue, she saw her son's eyes close again, and she gently ran her hands through his sloppy black hair. When the door to the room opened behind her, Lily turned around to see the Goblin healer walk in, and she immediately stood to greet him.

"Harry was up just a few moments ago, Master Healer. He spoke to me for a bit and told me he could finally feel his magic. Will he be alright?"

Lily watched fearfully as the Goblin ran several tests on her eldest son. When his eyes widened in surprise, her heart skipped a beat and she prepared herself for the worst.

"Your son will be fine, Lady Potter," the Goblin replied politely. "In fact, now that his core has finally settled, it seems your son is quite the powerful young Wizard. According to his MPI his core is similar to children that are entering their third year at Hogwarts."

Lily was stunned by the news. She was expecting to hear her son wouldn't make it through the night, but to learn the child that everyone assumed was a squib was in reality so powerful, it was almost too much for her to take. The fear, anger and sorrow she had been feeling for so many years, was swept away by the happiness she felt at hearing the good news.

"Thank Merlin he will be alright," she exclaimed. "I would also like to thank you on behalf of House Potter for your actions here tonight, Master Healer. You saved my son's life."

The Goblin shook his head and replied, "While the thought is appreciated, it is also unnecessary, Lady Potter. All I did was monitor your son's vitals. Tonight, he saved his own life. Only he could fix the problem with his core, and he did so on his own."

Lily wiped away the tears that were still falling down her face and smiled kindly at the smaller Goblin. When he continued to run his scans on Harry, she excused herself and made her way outside of the room. She knew there were quite a few people waiting to hear about Harry, and she couldn't wait to share the good news with them.

When she finally found the waiting room the Goblins had set aside for the Potter family, she walked in and found that the room was packed. In the corner of the room, her husband sat with his two best friends, Sirius and Remus. On the other side of the room, Sirius' wife Amy was watching over her twin daughters and youngest son as they played with Sirius' two children.

Before she could think to announce herself, her presence was noticed by her husband, and she saw him jump up with worry. "Is Harry okay, Lils?"

Lily couldn't stop the smile from lighting up her face, as she nodded her head and said, "He's going to be fine, James. I spoke to the healer, and whatever procedure Harry did to fix his core, it worked."

The cheers that erupted within the room, prevented Lily from continuing with the report. She laughed at seeing everyone so happy at the news.

When the group finally managed to calm down after a few minutes, Lily continued. "I want to tell you about his magical strength, James."

"I don't care if he's not magically strong, Lily," James interrupted. "He's my son. I'm just happy he's going to be okay."

The simple words spoken by her husband reminded her once again why she fell in love with him in the first place. Most pureblood men would look down upon a squib or magically weak child, but her husband never once thought that about their eldest child.

"He's not weak, James," she explained to her still ecstatic husband. "I just spoke to the healer, and after running some tests, he said Harry's core has finally settled, and right now he's as powerful as a third year at Hogwarts."

Lily could tell her news had stunned the room, because all the noise had come to a sudden stop.

"How is that possible, Lily?," she heard Remus ask.

"I'm not certain about all the details, but from what I learned from the healer when I first got here, Harry was suffering from a rare condition where his core had twisted upon itself. That's why the scan always showed him as a squib. His magic just couldn't be released the way his core was positioned."

Sirius was stunned that his godson was so powerful, and surprised that such a magical condition even existed.

"How come no one found out about his core? You and James must have taken him to St. Mungo's at least a dozen times. You even had Albus come and check Harry out himself."

Lily shook her head before replying, "The Goblin healer explained that his condition is so rare, it only shows up once or twice a century. Unless you ask for it, no one runs scans to check for a magical core in a squib."

Remus' intellectual curiosity was peaked by the news and he asked, "Do we know what type of procedure Harry went through?"

"I don't know all the details, but from what I was able to learn, Harry figured out how to connect to his core from a book he got from the Goblins. He found a page that mentioned his condition and the suggested method of treatment was to have the patient enter a meditative trance and have them connect to their magical core. They were supposed to unravel the twist, but the procedure was dangerous. If the person failed to fix the core fast enough, it was possible for the core to rupture and kill the patient."

All the adults in the room gasped at the news. "Why would Harry do this without telling us?"

Lily could see the anger and frustration clearly on her husband's face, and she gently brushed her fingers down his cheek.

"He was afraid, James. Despite everything we told him, he truly believed we would send him away for being a squib. He pushed us all away, because he didn't want to get close to us, and then have to leave everyone. He was so sad and ashamed, James. When he woke up, the first thing he did was apologize to me, and begged me to give him another chance at being my son. It broke my heart to hear he thought we didn't love him anymore."

James was shocked at hearing how his son really felt. By the silence that coursed through the rest of the room, it was evident everyone else felt the same way too.

"So what happens now?", James asked his wife.

"The healer says we have to wait a few days before we can take him home. After that, I think it's time we all became a family again."

James grinned at the news, and room once again erupted with cheers and happiness.

* * *

Harry had just finished dressing in the clothes his mother brought for him, when the door to his room opened and his Accounts Manager walked. Surprised to see the Goblin paying him a visit, he bowed his head politely and said, "It's nice to see you, Manger Ripclaw. What can I do for you?"

The Goblin grunted at him and handed him a stack of papers. "The properties you asked us to purchase on your behalf have been assessed, and you have once again been successful in your endeavour. You are quite the investment prodigy, Mr. Potter."

Harry swept through the memories of his counterpart, and even with his new eidetic memory, he couldn't recall asking the Goblins to buy any new properties. Uncertain what to do, he took the paperwork from his manager, and his eyes lit up as soon as he saw what he was holding. The deeds in his hands were the same as the deeds he asked Death to sell in his old world. Harry was once again the proud owner of two untapped gold mines, and a large parcel of land that held several deep reservoirs of oil.

Before he could think how this was possible, a familiar voice echoed inside of his head. "_You are welcome, Mr. Potter, and good luck in accomplishing your dream. Just make sure it doesn't interfere with what I need you to do. Oh, and my sister would like to congratulate you on the potion you were working on. She took a look at it while dropping off the book on your Island, and she believes you will be quite happy with the results._"

Harry didn't know what to do. A part of him wanted to scream in joy, but the rest of him knew to remain composed in front of his manager.

"Thank you for the hard work, Manager Ripclaw. Your services have so far been spectacular, and from now on I request you bump your cut from 2% to 5%."

The Goblin's grin would be scary to most people, but Harry had spent six years with several Goblins in the time Chamber, so he didn't even blink an eye.

"That is most generous of you, Mr. Potter," the Goblin replied happily. "I must say you have been a pleasure to work with. I look forward to our future ventures together."

"May your gold flow like a river, and your enemies tremble before you, Ripclaw."

"May your vaults overflow, and your enemies cower at your feet, Mr. Potter."

* * *

When Harry followed his parents into Potter Manor, he couldn't stop himself from becoming anxious. Two days ago he had requested this meeting with the entire extended family. At first his parents had been against it, but after his continued insistence, they finally relented.

Today was his homecoming from his medical ordeal, and he could now see why his parents were against his idea at the time. Summoning his Gryffindor courage, Harry followed his parents into the living room where the rest of his family was already waiting for him.

The moment he saw Sirius and Remus, it took all of Harry's self control to not go running to embrace the two men. When his eyes fell upon the rest of the people in the room, it took him a moment to identify everyone that didn't exist in his old world.

The first people he noticed were the twins girls that looked like younger replicas of their mother, complete with crimson red hair and emerald green eyes. Born a few months after the death of Voldemort, from his memories he knew the elder girl's name was Rose Lily Potter, and the younger twin was named Violet Dorea Potter. The next person he noticed was his younger brother Daniel Charlus Potter, who was three years younger than him. His memories showed him how awful his counterpart had been to his siblings, and he swore he would do everything in his power to change the relationship they had with their eldest brother.

As his eyes continued to sweep the room, Harry noticed Sirius' wife Amy Alexandra Black sitting beside her husband. Formerly a Mckinna, he knew the gorgeous brunnette was a pureblood and in this world, and Sirius' girlfriend since their seventh year at Hogwarts. In front of her sat their two children. The eldest was a girl his own age named Alexandra Andromeda Black, and her younger brother Orion Arcturis Black.

When he saw his parents take a seat on the couch near his Aunt Amy, Harry finally noticed that everyone was staring at him. Knowing they were all wondering why he had called for this meeting, Harry took a deep breath and said, "Hello everyone. I'm sure you're all wondering why I begged mum and dad to gather you here today. The answer is simple...I wanted to introduce myself."

"We all know who you are, Harry," Violet answered with a sneer.

Harry was a little saddened to hear the obvious dislike in his younger sister's voice, but he knew he deserved it. His counterpart's actions had done a lot of damage to this family, and it would take time to heal all the wounds he'd caused.

"You know my name, Violet," Harry replied patiently. "But you don't know who I am. None of you do, and I only have myself to blame for that. I pushed all of you away for years, and I never let you know the real me. I asked you here so I could finally tell all of you who I really am."

"I for one would love to know, sweety," his mum said with a smile.

The smile seemed to energize Harry, and he couldn't stop himself from grinning in return.

"As all of you know, I've been a right prat for the past few years. What you don't really know is why. It started right after Daniel's third birthday. I was six at the time, and it was the day he did his first accidental magic. Mum and dad were so thrilled to see it, but it made me jealous. I had already gone through the same thing with the twins doing magic, but when Daniel did it, I thought my time with the family was over. I knew what a squib was, and after doing some research I knew that squib children were often Obliviated and sent away to live in orphanages in the muggle world."

Harry's speech was interrupted, when his father jumped up and said, "We love you, Harry. With or without magic, I would never send a child of mine away from the family."

"I know that, Dad, but I couldn't stop myself from believing in the worst case scenario. The day after I overheard you and mum celebrating Daniel's accidental magic, I thought my days with the family were numbered. As a squib I couldn't inherit the Potter Lordship, but since Daniel was magical, you would still have a valid heir."

When he saw the tears form in his father's eyes, Harry had to force himself to continue. "That was the night that I decided to keep my distance from the rest of the family. If I didn't have a relationship with any of you, it wouldn't hurt if I was forced to leave. As the months passed, I tried my best to try to do some magic. I even found mum's books from her time at school and learned all the theory up till the end of third year. I would then steal dad's wand at night and for hours I would try to do all the spells I had learned. After months of trying, I finally gave up."

Harry knew this news was startling for everyone, because he heard Remus ask, "I don't want to doubt you, Harry, but how is it possible for you to pick up material that is taught to third years. Some of those classes are really hard."

Harry smiled at the younger version of Remus and replied, "You're correct in your suspicions, uncle Moony. Learning third year material should be hard for a six almost seven year old. But I have a gift I never told you guys about. Do any of you know what Eidetic memory is?"

When he heard his mother gasp, Harry wasn't surprised the smartest witch of her age knew the answer. "Do you know, mum?"

Lily nodded her head in awe and said, "It's when a person can remember anything they have seen, heard, read, touched or tasted for the rest of their life."

Harry could tell the others were uncertain about his gift. So to prove it was true he decided to share one of his counterpart's earliest memories. "Mum, Dad, Padfoot, do you guys remember the Halloween night we were attacked at Godric's Hallow?"

When he saw their reluctant nods, Harry continued with his story. "That night mum was wearing a blue jumper and she was singing me a lullaby. When the wards around the house fell, Padfoot screamed for mum to take me and run, and dad was yelling curses at the Death Eaters. Since the anti-apparation wards had been put up, mum was unable to leave. Instead she barricaded herself inside my nursery. Once the fighting finally ended, dad came upstairs and knocked on the door. Mum was holding me in one arm, and with her other hand, she had her wand pointed at the door. When dad told her it was him, she asked him what they did on their first date."

As he looked around the room, Harry could tell most of the people were shocked at his revelation, but that they still needed some convincing. Turning to Remus he asked, "Do you by any chance have a book in your Mole-skin bag, uncle Moony?"

Remus nodded his head and pulled out a large muggle dictionary. The moment he saw the surprised looks on everyone's faces, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I work in the muggle world, and sometimes I need it to understand some of the things that aren't available to us in the magical world."

Harry took the book from Remus and randomly opened it to a page in the middle. He gave himself a minute to skim through the page on either side and then returned the book to his pseudo-uncle. Over the next three minutes, Harry repeated verbatim everything that he read on the two pages. By the time he was done, Remus' jaw was hanging open in awe.

"Why didn't you tell us, Harry?", his mum asked.

The hurt in his mother's voice tore at him. "I don't really have a reason, mum. I just kept it a secret."

After a brief moment of silence, Harry figured it was time to continue with his story. "After I determined I wouldn't be able to do any magic, I decided I would make my way into the muggle world on my own. Since I was really good at runes and potions, I didn't want to have my memories of the magical world taken away from me. I figured I had until I was eleven years old and my Hogwarts letter failed to arrive, before I would need to make my escape. Knowing I would need to have money to make it on my own, I wrote a letter to the Potter Accounts Manager and asked about the status of my trust vault. After reading through the paperwork he sent me, I realized while I couldn't pull out money until I was eleven, it said nothing about me investing it. Once I verified that with the Goblins, I spent several weeks researching muggle companies. I decided if I was going to live in that world, it would make sense for me to invest in it. My first few investments did really well for me, and I made enough money that I was able to return the galleons I took from my trust vault. After that I opened another account that only I could access, and got myself a new Accounts Manager."

Harry felt bad about all the surprises he was dropping on his family, but the Marauder in him slightly enjoyed all the stunned expressions on everyone's faces.

"How much money have you earned so far?," Sirius asked curiously.

When he felt his family all stare at him at once, Harry blushed slightly and replied, "Before I went to the Goblins to fix my core, I had 14 million galleons in my personal account."

Harry had to stop himself from flinching when the adults in the room erupted around him. They were all talking so loud, he couldn't tell if they were happy or upset with what his counterpart was able to accomplish. After a few minutes, his dad's piercing whistle broke through the noise, and the rest of the family finally settled down.

"You said before you went to the Goblins your account was at 14 million galleons?", his dad asked him patiently.

When Harry nodded his head in agreement, his dad asked, "What's your account balance now, Harry?"

"Well, technically it's the same, but I asked the Goblins to purchase some property I was looking to build on, and they didn't finish their assessment until I was ready to be released by the healers. The several plots of land I purchased turned out to have two untapped gold mines, and several reservoirs of oil. The Goblins valued the three properties at around 400 million galleons."

The silence that followed his announcement made Harry more uncomfortable than he could imagine.

"Is there any more to your story, Harry?", Lily asked him hesitantly.

Harry had a couple more things to share with his family, but after seeing the stunned looks on everyone's faces, he thought he would keep his revelations to just two more.

"Just a little bit, mum."

When he saw his mother nod for him to continue, Harry took a deep breath and said, "Over the past few years I split my time between runes, potions, and learning about the muggle world. At this point in time, I am more than ready to take my secondary exams for placement in a University. But my desire to leave the magical world was hindered by my discovery earlier this year."

Remus who was already in awe of what his nephew had accomplished, couldn't stop himself from asking, "What have you discovered, Harry?"

Harry had to swallow through the tightness that was forming in his throat, and he pulled out the demo cd player his counterpart had been working on. Minus Remus and his mum, he could tell everyone else was clueless about the item in his hand. Without trying to explain it, he quickly pushed play and music began blaring through the headphones in his hand.

"How is that possible, Harry?", his mother asked him. "Electricity doesn't work around magic."

Harry couldn't stop himself from grinning in response. While technically his counterpart had made the discovery, but it was his now. "Not anymore, mum. Earlier this year I figured out a runic array that would allow magic to work with muggle devices. I already secured a patent with the Goblins, and once they've made it tamper proof, I plan on registering it with the ICW."

When the silence once again took over the room, Harry found himself monitoring his family's reaction. It had been awhile since Harry got a response from his father, and now he was getting nervous by it. "Are you angry with me, dad?", he asked.

James stared into his son's green eyes and he was shocked at how little he knew the person that looked back at him. "I'm not angry, Harry. I'm just stunned at how brilliant my son is, and how little I knew about it. You've accomplished so many wonderful things in such a short time, and I haven't been able to help you at all. I feel guilty for not being a better father to you."

Before his dad could continue any further, Harry ran up to the sofa he was sitting on and knelt down in front of him. "This is not your fault, dad. You and mum never once gave up on me. No matter how hard I tried to push you guys away, you still did your best to show me that you loved me. It was me who didn't accept it. None of you know me, but it's my fault and my fault alone. That's why I wanted everyone here today. I don't want to keep you guys away anymore. I've been a horrible brother, a horrible nephew, a horrible friend and a horrible son to each and every one of you. Now that I won't ever have to leave again, I just want a chance to save the relationships I almost threw away."

After everything he suffered in his old world, Harry found it hard to meet his father's eyes. The tears that were forming in the older man's hazel orbs, hurt him worse than any of the Dark Lord's Crucios. If he was unable to save his relationship with his family, he didn't know what he would do.

Suddenly Harry felt a hand grip his shoulder. When he looked up, he saw his dad smiling down at him, and all his worries seemed to melt away. "Maybe you were right about today, Harry. I think it's time we all had a new beginning."

With that statement, Harry was suddenly enveloped in a tight hug by both his parents. He tried to control his emotions, but his Occlumency failed him. The love he could feel in his parent's embrace was something he had dreamed of for countless years. Now that he finally had it, the tears of happiness that poured down his face, couldn't be stopped.


	5. A Letter From Fate & Breakfast

**Chapter 5: A Letter From Fate and Breakfast With The Family**

Harry James Potter laid down on the massive bed in his new room, and he was surprised at how much space was available to him. After years of living in a cupboard and then the tiny room at the Dursleys, he was slightly pensive with his new accommodations.

His new bedroom was easily larger than the dorm he shared with his fellow Gryffindors at Hogwarts. The dark blue walls were covered by an endless stream of bookshelves, and he figured he had close to three hundred books already on them. Luckily his counterpart was a clean freak and everything was neatly organized throughout the room.

Unable to sleep, Harry's thoughts returned to his heartfelt meeting with his new family. After the adults had informed him he was more than forgiven for his past actions, he was overwhelmed with questions from everyone. The interrogation lasted for several hours, and went well into dinner and then desert. He did his best to answer all questions as truthfully as he could, and by the time he was done, everyone was more than ready to go to bed.

Unlike the rest of his family members, Harry was nowhere near ready to go to sleep. The excitement of being with the family he yearned for all of his life was too much for him, and when his restlessness continued to grow, he realized what he could do to kill some time.

Harry got up and quickly put on a pair of dark blue jeans, a forest green button down shirt and a pair of dragon hide boots that he found under his bed. He quietly made his way down the stairs and out of the house. Once he was safely away from the Manor wards, Harry apparated to his Island.

As soon as he arrived, Harry was struck dumb at the changes. Where once the Island shores were littered with rocks and seaweed, it was now graced by a beautiful beach made of white sand. The beach stretched for miles on either side, and if he were a betting man, he would bet the white sand could now be found wrapped around the entire Island. Harry shook his head in wonder at the changes Death had made, and found himself walking down a cobblestone pathway that never existed before.

When the walkway finally ended, Harry was stunned to see the massive abode that was in front of him. Gone was the small Manor Riddle had put there for his personal use. In it's place lay a structure that was almost as big as Potter Manor. The color scheme and some of the architecture were different, but he was definite the house was just as large.

Harry made his way to the front door and followed the instructions that Death had left in his mind. He wrapped his hand around the door handle, and winced when a needle suddenly pricked his skin. Harry knew to spread the droplets of blood that were pooling on his palm all across the surface of the door handle. Once he was done, he grabbed the handle again, and suddenly he felt his magic connect to the wards around the House.

Upon entering the Manor, Harry was amazed at the size of the waiting room. The furniture and decorations were elegantly done, but they still exuded the wealth and power of the house. When he walked further into the room, Harry noticed a white envelope resting on top of a large black book. As soon as he got closer to it, he realized the envelope was addressed to him, and tore it open to retrieve the letter that was inside.

_Dear Harry Potter,_

_Since you have already met my sister, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Fate and I have been watching you since your birth in your home world. You my young friend are a truly outstanding individual. The pain and suffering that you have endured throughout your young life, would have broken most people. But you did not let your trials defeat you. Instead you used them to make yourself stronger. When I learned of the future my sister would face, I could think of no one better suited to become her Champion._

_In the thousands of years that I have- charted the destinies of mankind, I have learned how poorly humans react to power. The more they have available, the more it warps them into becoming cruel and greedy beings. During this time, I have only seen a few souls who were pure enough to resist the temptation to abuse their power. In you, I sense such an individual._

_The moment you decided to become my sister's Champion, I saw the many horrors you will one day face in this new world. I knew you would need help to emerge victorious, and so I allowed you to keep your alternate's Magical core. As soon as you absorbed his magic into your own, you became more powerful than you ever would have been in your own world. This allowed me to grant you a gift. The gift of a Shadow Mage. In all of history, I have only granted this boon to five people. Only one of those five managed to stay pure of heart and not abuse his powers._

_The power I have given you will be needed for you to overcome the Voldemort in your new world, Mr. Potter. I believe you have the heart and strength of character to not abuse the gift I have given you. The book that was under this letter, was written by the only Shadow Mage that managed to use his power to help the world, rather than rule over it. I urge you to learn all you can about your new abilities, because you will need every advantage you can get in the upcoming war. The rules prohibit me from giving you details about your future, but I can tell you that without this power, you will not be capable of defeating this world's Voldemort. The man you will face is infinitely worse than the one you have already defeated. Do not take him lightly, or countless worlds will pay for your mistake._

_My apologies for such a maudlin letter, Mr. Potter. Now that it's over, I will end this on a happier note. I hope you don't mind the few changes that I have made with your former residence. After two years of living here, I can't believe you haven't done anything to improve this wonderful Island. It's a true crime that you have spent so much time in Riddle's hovel, when you had Potter Manor just waiting to be pulled out from the Goblin transport sphere. Since you were too lazy to do it yourself, I took the liberty of destroying the old house, and putting your Manor there instead. In case you ever decide to bring people over, I have taken the liberty to change the outward appearance of the house, so it won't look exactly like your parents' home. _

_Also, the number of rooms inside have been decreased, but to compensate the other rooms are now larger. As for your personal items, they have already been unpacked into the Master bedroom and all of the books you brought with you have been placed into the Manor's Library. The trunks that contain your money can be found at the foot of your bed, and my last gift to you was the beach I put around your Island. I hope you like it, and take the time to use it and relax._

_While moving things around, I came upon the potion you were working on before my sister picked you up for your meeting. I must say I'm very impressed with your hard work, and I would like offer my congratulations on finally completing your masterpiece. I've seen how diligently you have worked on it, and I'm happy that it is finally finished. If you would be willing to take some advice, I would suggest adding seven drops of blood from the person who will be drinking the potion. I think the results will surprise you._

_I wish you well in your new life, Mr. Potter. Just remember, your fate is always in your own hands. The choices you make will determine what your future will hold. Good luck and use your gifts wisely._

_Sincerely,_

_Fate_

_P.S. Your parents want you to know that they are happy that you are finally getting to experience the love of family. Also, Sirius would like me to remind you that he still expects you to fulfill the promise you made to him in your old world. In the not so distant future, you will get a chance to do just that. If you don't fight against it, I'm positive you will be pleased by the results. Goodbye, Mr. Potter._

As soon as Harry finished the letter, he immediately found himself reading it again. He couldn't believe his potion was a success. The second he had some free time, he would make an appointment with Ripclaw and have them start locating candidates for testing. If everything worked out like he wanted, by Christmas he would be able to give Mooney one hell of a present.

Once he was done reveling in his achievement, Harry looked around and winced at the size of the Manor. He really wanted to take a tour of it, and wished he had a guide to help. "Damn, I would love to have a House Elf right now."

No sooner were the words out of his mouth, that an elf popped up right in front. "Hello Master Harry Potter Sir. I be Mipsy. Can I be helping you with something?"

"Ah, where did you come from, Mipsy, and why are you calling me Master?"

"I be waking up from the long sleep by the pretty lady with yellow hair, Master. She be telling me to tell yous that the others needing to be waking soon. We all be bonded to you already Master."

Harry almost groaned when he realized what Mipsy was talking about. The Voldemort from his world wanted to have multiple Islands like the one he already made, and he planned to have all of them run by an army of house elves.

In his own sick little way, snake face had come up with the perfect plan to do just that. He took five pairs of elves from his followers and used them to breed his own little elf army. By the time he reached two hundred elves, the breeders he chose ended up dying and snake face placed the new elves in stasis.

If Harry understood Mipsy correctly, Fate had somehow bound all the elves to him, and woken up the happy elf that now stood in front of him.

Forcing himself not to sigh, Harry looked at the hyper elf and said, "Okay, let get some ground rules straight. I don't need you to use my full name. Harry sir is good enough."

"Yes, Harry Sir," Mipsy replied happily.

"Second, I don't want any elf to punish themself. If you do something wrong, come to me and I'll figure out what to do then."

When Harry saw the elf nod her head furiously in agreement, he knew he wouldn't be able to deal with all two hundred at the same time.

"Do you know how much longer the stasis will last on the other elves, Mipsy?"

"Yes Harry Sir. Pretty lady be saying most will stay for another year and a half, but many be ready in a year."

When he realized he would have some time before he dealt with the elf situation, Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"Do you need any more elves to be woken up right now, Mipsy?"

"Yes Harry Sir. Mipsy be a cooking elf. I not be knowing how to deal with planty buildings. Harry Sir will need three elves to care for all the plantys and two elves to be helping with the Manor."

Harry nodded his head and said, "Okay Mipsy. Do you need me to waken them, or can you choose the right elves and do it yourself?"

"I can bes doing it Harry Sir. I just be needing yours permission."

When he readily gave his permission, the little elf popped away without another word, leaving Harry once again alone in the Manor. The day's events were finally catching up to him, and Harry found himself suddenly yawning from his fatigue. Deciding the rest of the Manor could be looked over another day, Harry quickly made his way out of the house and apparated back to Potter Manor.

* * *

The next three weeks were the happiest of Harry's life. His relationship with his parents improved in leaps and bounds, and he was proud that his siblings were finally beginning to forgive him for his counterpart's past actions. He also used this time to once again bond with Sirius and Remus, and quickly became friends with Sirius' wife Amy and their son Orion.

Unfortunately their daughter Alex was still not ready to forgive him. Since she was the same age as him, Harry knew she had tried the hardest to get through to his counterpart. Before the other Harry had begun to push people away, Alex had been his closest friend.

Due to their friendship, his counterpart had done and said a lot of mean things to finally push her away. For those actions, Harry knew she wasn't anywhere near ready to forgive him. It was tough for him, but he promised himself that one day he would win her over.

Along with all his hard work in repairing his relationships with his family, Harry had been diligent in reading through the Shadow Mage book Fate had given him, as well as building up his new body with a good exercise and diet plan. Between working out in the morning, hanging out with his family throughout the day, and pouring over his studies at night, Harry was as busy as he'd ever been.

A week before his eleventh birthday, Harry finished his morning workout early, and decided to treat his family by making breakfast. When he put on a pair of black jeans and a blue t-shirt shirt, Harry grimaced at how tight the clothes rested against his body. Thanks to Death he had already undergone a small growth spurt, and now at 5'4", he was quite tall for an incoming first year.

Once he was in the kitchen, Harry quickly pulled out the things he would need to make everyone their favorite breakfast. His time with the Dursleys had turned him into a decent chef, and he was quite capable of making his way around a kitchen. Cooking was one of the few things he didn't mind doing for his former guardians, because it was something he really enjoyed to do.

The fruits of his labor soon spread throughout the Manor, and the mouth watering aroma awoke everyone almost simultaneously. As the various members of the Potter family followed their nose downstairs, Harry was busy flipping an omelette like a professional. He was so intent on what he was doing, he never noticed his family watching silently behind him.

Lily rested her head against her husband's shoulder and with the rest of her family she watched in awe as her eldest son cooked them breakfast. She couldn't believe how easily he moved through the kitchen and to her it seemed like he'd been doing it for years. Seeing yet another talent her son possessed, Lily was amazed at how remarkable he really was.

It pained her that she had lost so many years being estranged from her son, but as soon as those thoughts came in her head, she quickly banished them away. Harry had finally come back to their family, and the past three weeks were some of the happiest of her life. She refused to dwell on the painful memories from the past, when she had a chance to build happy memories now and in the future.

When Harry flipped the omelette high in the air, spun around and caught it expertly in a plate with his other hand, Lily could understand why her youngest son started clapping in appreciation. The move was worthy of a professional Chef, and she felt like joining Daniel in expressing her admiration of her elder son's skills.

The clapping was enough to make Harry aware of his visitors, and when he turned around, Lily smiled at the surprised expression on her son's face.

"That was wonderful, sweetie," she said to eldest son. "I had no idea you could cook so well."

Harry blushed at his mother's praise, and shrugged his shoulders. "It's no big deal, mum. During my research into the muggle world, I ended up buying several cookbooks and decided to try them out. Cooking is not really that hard. It's kind of like potions. You just have to make sure to monitor the fire, cut the ingredients the right way, and know when and how often to stir things."

Lily walked over to her son and gently kissed him on the cheek. "Well thank you very much for your services, Chef Potter. Can I help you with anything?"

Harry turned red at all the attention he was receiving from his mother, and shook his head vigorously. "No need to do anything, mum. Just sit down at the table and start eating. Everything is already out there, and I made everyone's favorite."

When the family made their way to the dining room table, James was surprised that it was already set. The head of the table had a plate with a Denver omelette, three strips of bacon and a side of potatoes, which was his favorite breakfast.

The seat to his right, where his wife normally sat, had a bowl of fresh fruit, two sunny side eggs, and two sausage links. The seat right next to hers could only be for Daniel, since the plate contained scrambled eggs with cheese and diced sausages and bacon. Directly across from his wife was an empty plate, where Harry now sat, but the two seats next to his had a mountain of chocolate chip and blueberry pancakes, so it was obvious they were for the twins.

At the site of everyone's favorite food, James smiled at how thoughtful his eldest son was being. Since his birth, he had loved his son without any question. But the past few years it was hard to actually like him. The bitterness Harry had over being a squib, bled into all his actions, and often made being around him very difficult. James loved this new version of his son, and he prayed things would never go back to the way they were.

"Thank you very much for breakfast, Harry," James said to his son with a smile. "But you know you didn't have to go through so much trouble."

"It's okay, dad. It wasn't too much trouble, and I enjoyed doing it."

Once everyone sat down, James took a bite out of his omelette, and he couldn't believe how amazing it was. While he loved his wife to death and she had many incredible talents, unfortunately cooking wasn't one of them. He was just thankful he was able to convince Lily that having house elves was a good thing. Without them, he had no doubt his family would either live on take out, or die from hunger.

As he continued to eat, James couldn't help but think that the meal in front of him was quite possibly the best home cooked meal he had ever eaten, even in comparison to the family house elf. By the sounds of pleasure he could hear coming from the rest of his family, James had no doubt they would agree with the sentiment.

James was about to try the potatoes on his plate, when he heard Harry ask, "Dad, do you like being an Auror?"

The question came as a surprise for James, and he had to think hard about his answer. Once upon a time he truly enjoyed his job, but the past few years the corruption in the Ministry really hindered what he could do. Some of the people that he would bring in, would either be released on a technicality, or they were rich enough to buy their way out. Seeing criminals walk free, made doing his job a pain in the arse.

When he saw his son still patiently waiting for him to answer, James decided to be honest with him. "I used to, son. Being an Auror is an honorable profession, and I used to love being one. But lately the corruption has gotten out of hand, and I find it's not so much fun anymore."

"If you don't like it, dad, how come you don't quit?"

James grunted at the idea. "Potters are a wealthy family, Harry, but part of the reason is because most of the former Heads of our House worked for a living. Potters don't mind dipping into the fortune to pay for things, but we are raised to provide for ourselves. Besides, I've been an Auror most of my adult life. If I quit now, I wouldn't know what to do."

"If you still want to help people, you could always take your seat on the Wizengamot, dad. That could be your job. To help make our world a better place."

James smiled at his son's naievity. The Wizengamot was filled with some of the most corrupt people in all of Magical Britain. As respected and powerful as the Potter family was, they were still just one seat among many. While James really wanted to one day take his seat in the government, right now that wasn't an option for him. Even though money wasn't tight, he didn't dare risk trying to live off what was left of the Potter fortune.

After the war the destruction that was caused by Voldemort and his Death Eaters had been devastating to the economy. With the Ministry nearly bankrupt, James had used most of his money to help fix the damage. By the time he was done, the once massive Potter fortune was down to barely 15 million galleons. While that was still a lot of money for most people, he wasn't willing to depend on it, since he was still capable of working.

Now James wasn't stupid with his generosity. Despite his desire to help the less fortunate, he didn't just give his money away. No, James' actions had earned the Potters a stake in a lot of land, as well as large percentages of many different businesses throughout Magical Britain. Though he was getting money every month from those businesses, it would still take a long time for the Potters to regain their massive wealth.

"I'm not sure how good I would be as a politician, Harry. That was really something your grandfather was good at. Besides, it all comes back to having a paying job. After the war, I spent a lot of the Potter fortune to help jumpstart our stagnant economy. While we're still land rich and now have shares in most of the major businesses in our world, it will still take a long time to replenish the family vaults. I hope to one day take my seat in the Wizengamot, but for now it's best if I continue my work as an Auror."

"Did grandad have a job?"

"Yes he did, Harry. My grandfather lived to be a very old man, so my dad didn't have to take his Lordship until late in his life. By then, he had already worked thirty years as an Auror, and another ten years as an Unspeakable. By the time he joined the Wizengamot, my dad had made enough money that we didn't have to live off the Potter fortune at all."

While Harry admired his father's moral stance, a part of him was upset that his dad didn't want to take a larger part in the Ministry right away. It never even occurred to him that James would say no due to monetary reasons.

In his old world, part of the reason things went FUBAR so quickly, was because the only people really taking a part in deciding the country's laws, were either corrupt, neutral, or dark. For some of his future plans to work, Harry knew he would need support within the government. As his mind began to sort through the new information, Harry tried to figure out ways to get the Potter vaults some of the surplus cash he had from the other world. From the way things sounded, if his dad had money regularly coming in, he would be more amenable to take his seat in the Wizengamot.

By the time breakfast was over, Harry had an idea that would hopefully take care of some of his problems. He just needed to get to Gringotts to get it done.

When he saw his parents were getting ready to leave the breakfast table, Harry spoke up. "Mum, dad, are you guys doing anything important tonight?"

As soon as he saw his parents shake their heads in response, he said, "Do you think you could invite the Blacks and Uncle Moony over for dinner? I have something I want to talk to you guys about."

Lily looked sharply at her eldest son, and her maternal instincts screamed that he was up to something. "Is everything alright, Harry?"

Green eyes locked on to green eyes, and Harry replied, "Nothing serious, mum. I just wanted to run an idea by everyone, and I figured tonight would be the best time."

Lily was sure her son was still up to something, but decided she wouldn't push him for now.

"Okay, Harry. If you say so. I'll floo Amy and Moony in a bit and ask them to come over later for dinner. Do you have anything planned for today? If not, I think we should take you shopping today. The clothes you're wearing now are much too tight on you."

Harry shivered at the thought of going shopping. It was too much like torture. Seeing his mum waiting for him to answer, he forced a grin on to his face and said, "Could we possibly save the shopping until after I get my Hogwarts letter? That way we wouldn't have to do it twice."

When his mother reluctantly nodded her head in agreement, Harry let out a small sigh in relief.

"I have some errands to run in Diagon alley. Would it be okay if I left for a bit?"

Lily looked at her husband before answering, and when she saw him shrug his shoulders in response, she knew he was leaving the choice up to her. When she thought about how mature Harry had been acting lately, she figured she would trust him to go by himself.

"If you want to go to the alley, then you're free to go. But I expect you back in three hours tops. A minute over and you'll be grounded until you go to school. Deal?"

Harry agreed to the terms immediately, and then quickly excused himself to go talk to his account manager.


	6. Familiars, Politics, and A Lordship

**Chapter 6: Familiars, Politics, and A Lordship**

As he tumbled into the Leaky Cauldron, Harry coughed through the soot that caked his clothes and silently cursed at his inability to floo travel. If it was up to him, he would have apparated here, but he wasn't sure how his parents would react to his being able to do so.

Harry followed a family into the alley, and he was about to head to Gringotts, when he suddenly felt a strong pull on his magic. Unsure what it was, he decided to find out. It took him some time, but he finally ended up in the North Side of the alley, right in front of the Magical Menagerie.

As soon he walked into the store, he immediately felt the pull coming from two separate directions, and decided he would try the right side first.

That route led him towards dozens of cages filled with snakes. He could hear them yelling out insults towards the other kids in the shop, and Harry couldn't help but find some of their comments amusing. He was trying to determine which of them was pulling at his magic, when a large black snake suddenly rose up and hissed at him.

"_SSSpeaker. You are a ssspeaker. I can ssensse the venom of the King in your blood. You have much power young one. I can sssmell that you are a SSShadow Mage. Take me and I will protect you._"

Harry wasn't surprised the snake knew what he was. From the Shadow Mage book he'd been reading, the author himself was a Parselmouth. He wrote of how he found his familiar, because the snake could sense he was a Shadow Mage. While the author maintained that the Shadow spells could be said in any language, he felt speaking them in Parseltongue made them more powerful. If one was bonded to a strong magical snake, that power could be increased even further.

The part that surprised him was that the snake could sense the venom of a King in his blood. It took him a second to make the connection, but Harry realized the ability transfer Death told him about, must mean his blood still had Basilik venom and Phoenix tears. That was good to know.

Thanks to the time he spent with the Goblin healers in his old world, they were able to tell him that the venom made him immune to most poisons, and the tears gave him a boost during healing. After the war he had completely forgotten about the two elements in his blood, but now he was glad he still had use of them.

"_What type of sssnake are you?_", Harry hissed back. "_Do you have a name?_"

"_I am a Black Cobra, SSSpeaker. My name isss SSSelena._"

"_Are Cobrasss magical, SSSelena?_"

"_Mossst are not, but I am from one of the few magical linesss._"

Harry could feel that pull on his magic coming from the snake, but he wasn't ready to pick it up yet. He had no idea how he would explain the snake to his parents, and it was too early in their relationship to tell them about his Parseltongue ability.

"_I will have to wait to get you my friend,_" Harry hissed softly. "_I have no way to hide you when I'm home._"

The cobra hissed back in annoyance, "_You are a SSShadow Mage young one. If I bond with you, sssome of your power will become mine. I can hide myssself under your ssskin._"

Harry was stunned the snake could do that, but he figured if it was possible, there was no reason not to take it now.

"_Fine. I'll pull you out now, and we can bond once I get sssomewhere quiet._"

Harry reached into the tank and allowed the snake to wrap itself tightly around his arm. With his new familiar firmly secure, Harry went to follow the second pull that he felt. His heart raced when he walked by the Owls section of the menagerie, but stopped once he realized he couldn't spot his beautiful Hedwig. Continuing his search, he walked further into the store, until he stopped in front of a table that held five large eggs. His magic called to the only blue egg in the group, and he knew his other familiar would come from there.

Just as he was about to reach his hand out and touch the egg, a large hand grabbed his and pulled him back. "What the hell do you think you're doing kid? Do you even know how valuable these eggs are? Where are your parents?"

Harry felt his anger rise at the man's rant, and for a brief moment he forgot he was supposed to be almost 11, and not the almost 19 that he was feeling. "Please be quiet, sir. You have no need to concern yourself about my parent's whereabouts. Now what is the price of this egg?"

When the store clerk just stared at him like he said he was Voldemort, Harry rolled his and repeated, "What is the price for this egg?"

"That's a Phoenix egg, boy," the clerk replied with a sneer. "It cost 10000 galleons to buy. Now take your sickles and knuts and go look at something cheaper."

As soon as he heard "boy" and saw the Malfoy-like sneer appear on the clerk's face, Harry grabbed his Gringotts card from his money bag, and tossed it to the older Wizard. "Go ahead and charge me for it. While you're at it, make sure to add a Black Cobra."

The clerk jumped back when Selena rose up from under Harry's sleeve. It was obvious the man was afraid of the deadly snake, and normally Harry would have taken the time to enjoy it, but the egg continued to call to him. Waving the man off, he turned his attention back to his soon to be familiar.

When his hand finally touched the smooth egg, he could feel the ice beneath him, but strangely it didn't hurt. It actually felt good. That's when he heard a voice echo in his mind, "_~I have missed you, hatchling.~_"

Harry's heart began to race and he wasn't sure why, but he just knew that voice belonged to Hedwig. "Hedwig, is that you?", he asked the voice.

"_~It is, hatchling. It's good to know that you still remember me. You do not have to speak out loud, my youngling. I can hear you through your mind.~_"

"_~How is this possible, Hedwig? You died during the battle of Hogwarts. How are you a Phoenix in this world?~_"

"_~I do not know, hatchling. I remember dying, and then waking here long ago. For centuries I have waited to be born, but I failed to meet anyone whose magic called to my own. It seems I was waiting for you, young one. I sensed your magic, as soon as you walked into the alley.~_"

Harry had a silly grin plastered on his face, his hand still gently caressing the egg in front of him.

"_~I've really missed you so much girl. I'm sorry you had to wait so long. What can I do to help you?~_"

"~_Reach out with your magic and break the egg, young one._~"

"_~Are you sure, Hedwig? I don't want to hurt you.~_"

When he heard the voice echo in his mind, Harry could swear it sounded amused. "_~You will not harm me, hatchling. As my bond-mate your magic is needed to break the egg.~_"

Harry took a deep breath, closed his eyes and pushed his magic out towards the egg. This time he could feel the ice that surrounded it, and it hurt. Not wanting to let his girl down, Harry pushed further against the barrier and the ice continued to get colder. Ignoring the pain, he called upon more of his magic, and slammed it against the barrier. He could feel the ice slowly begin to break and suddenly all resistance was gone.

When he heard the egg break, Harry pulled back on his magic and opened his eyes. A smile split his face the moment he saw baby Hedwig as a Phoenix. As soon as he began to coo at her, he could sense her annoyance at being so small.

After a minute of teasing his friend, he decided to apologize, "_~I'm sorry for making fun of you, Hedwig, but I just couldn't resist. You look so beautiful as a baby. But I'm done now. Are you ready to go?~_"

The reply came in only a slightly irritated tone. "_~I will be ready in a moment, hatchling. With the first birth, Phoenixes mature right away.~_"

By the time his mind registered what his familiar meant, Harry watched in awe as Hedwig slowly grew in front of him. At full growth, he was amazed by her size. When her wings were spread fully, he had no doubt she would easily be larger than Fawkes. With piercing blue eyes, she was whiter than the snow, and had dark blue streaks going through her plumage. Overall, Harry was more than impressed with her new form.

"_~You look beautiful, Hedwig.~_"

"_~Thank you, hatchling.~_"

Harry admired his familiar for a little bit longer, and then he sensed her desire to be out in the open. "_~Go on girl. Go out and fly. I can tell you want spread your wings.~_"

When Hedwig cocked her head to the side and looked at him, her blue eyes felt like they were staring into his soul. "_~I will go, hatchling. Call me if you are in trouble.~_"

Harry rolled his eyes at her overprotectiveness and replied, "_~Yes mother.~_"

Hedwig jumped up in the air and cuffed him lightly with her wing to the side of his head, before disappearing in a flash of blue fire.

As he watched his familiar leave, Harry couldn't help but shake his head at her mothering. If he was being honest with himself, he kind of missed it. Once he realized he no longer had any business in the store, Harry signed for his purchases and made his escape.

This time his trip to Gringotts was uninterrupted, and when he entered, he made his way straight to the only free Goblin teller.

"Good morning, Master Goblin. My name is Harry Potter, and I would like to speak to my Accounts Manager, Ripclaw."

Harry ignored the glare and sneer the little Goblin threw his way, and calmly followed the small creature to his manager's door. Once there, he knocked once and swiftly entered into the room.

"May your gold overflow, and your enemies tremble before you, Manager Ripclaw."

Ripclaw grinned at the sight of his favorite client and quickly replied, "To you as well, Mr. Potter. Please, have a seat. What can I do for you today?"

Harry sat down in the comfortable leather chair, and grinned back at the Goblin. "I have a business idea and I wanted to get your help setting it up."

When Harry began to explain what he wanted to do, Ripclaw could just imagine the amount of galleons the idea would make for Gringotts. This deal alone would impress Ragnok enough to elevate him to Senior Account Manager status.

Much like every other day, the young Goblin thanked whoever was watching over him, that he was the one who was assigned to Harry all those years ago.

* * *

Lily brought out a tray of tea and cookies to the living room, and gently placed it on the coffee table. With dinner over and Alex watching over the other kids upstairs, she was looking forward to what her son wanted to discuss with the rest of the family. His last announcement had been one for the ages, and she felt her curiosity was definitely peaked for what he wanted to talk about now.

Once she was settled by her husband on the couch, she looked over at her eldest son, and saw that he was carrying a stack of muggle files. By the way he kept pulling at the collar of his shirt, she could tell her little boy was nervous about something. Hoping to ease some of his worries, she thought she would help him get started.

"Whenever you're ready, sweetie, the rest of us are eagerly waiting to hear what you want to talk about."

At the sound of his mother's words and the encouraging smile he saw on her face, Harry immediately felt some of his worry melt away.

"Thanks, mum. I appreciate it."

The moment he saw the other adults in the room nod and smile at him encouragingly, Harry decided it was time to start his presentation, and he quickly handed out a file to everyone in the room.

"The reason I wanted to talk to all of you, is because I wanted to start a company called Marauders Inc."

Harry waited for the hoots and snickering to die down from the original Marauders, before he continued. "A few weeks ago I told you guys about my discovery with the runic array and how it can be used to power muggle electronics. Now I want to take that idea to the next level. The magical community is several decades behind the times and I want to bring them into the twentieth century. I want to introduce Witches and Wizards to televisions, microwaves, dishwashers, cd players, radios, and anything else that I think they would enjoy from the muggle world."

After his last conversation with the family, Harry was more than prepared for the stunned silence that followed his explanation. He was about to explain how he intended to introduce the products, when his father's voice suddenly interrupted him. "This is a good idea, son, but it's illegal. The Department of Misuse of Muggle Artefacts, won't let you sell these products."

"Actually you're wrong, dad," Harry replied smugly.

"I am?", James asked in surprise.

"Yes you are, dad, but it's a common mistake everyone makes. The Law created by the Ministry states it is illegal to enchant a muggle item, with the intent to use it for the purposes other than what it was designed for. So you can't make a car fly or a motorcycle ride over a lake. It says nothing about using the item the way they were meant to be used. I could still sell a television that would work off magic instead of electricity, as long it was used as a television."

Amy was impressed with her pseudo-nephew's idea, but she wasn't sure how feasible it was in the long run. She had been to the muggle world a few times with Lily, and she knew exactly what a television was. But the problem was, televisions would only show muggle programing.

The disdain that most magicals had for muggles, meant them buying anything just to watch muggle entertainment was not very likely.

Hoping she wasn't going to crush Harry's spirit, Amy gently said, "This is a really good idea, Harry, but the magical world doesn't care about muggle entertainment. Why would they buy your televisions?"

Harry grinned at the comment. He was hoping someone would have brought that issue up, because he had the perfect idea to make magicals want a television. "You're absolutely right, Aunt Amy. Magicals don't care about muggle entertainment, but they do care about Quidditch."

Amy was confused by the answer. She didn't understand what Quidditch had to do with selling televisions to the magical world. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I don't understand. Muggles don't play Quidditch."

"If everyone will open the files I gave you, I think the first page will give you an answer to what I'm talking about."

Harry paid attention to everyone's reactions and he was prepared for his dad and Padfoot to jump up and begin celebrating.

When she read through the report, even Lily was stunned by what her son was able to accomplish. At first she was ready to agree with Amy about the idea being good, but not feasible for the magical world, but the contract she was staring at changed everything.

Somehow her son managed to get the broadcasting rights to every Professional and International Quidditch game in Europe, Asia and America, for the next twenty five years. Lily knew most people didn't have the time and money to go to games regularly, so if you could bring the games to them, then the price of a television would be well worth the investment.

The second she saw her son's green eyes looking back at her, Lily couldn't stop herself from jumping up and crushing him a tight embrace. "I'm so proud of you, Harry. I can't even say you take after me, because you're so much more brilliant than me or your father. I'm just amazed at the things you have already managed to accomplish. How were you able to pull this off?"

Harry blushed at his mother's praise, and replied, "Thanks, mum. I've been planning this for a few weeks now, and today I went to my accounts manager to figure some things out. As soon as we floo called the heads of the British, American, Japanese and Bulgarian Leagues, and the World Quidditch Association, they immediately signed over the broadcasting rights for all of their games. I'm pretty sure they still don't realize what they agreed to. All they heard was the amount I was offering and they signed the paperwork without hesitation. The contract is ironclad, so for the next twenty five years, Marauder's Inc. holds the broadcast and distribution rights for any professional or International Quidditch game that is played in the world."

After a few minutes the original Marauders finally brought their celebration to an end. At that point Remus decided it was time for him to join the conversation.

"This is an incredible achievement you have here, Harry. But I'm confused what you want with the rest of us. It looks like you have everything already under control."

"If you flip a few pages, uncle Moony, you'll see the paperwork that I'm filing for Marauder's Inc. I want this to be a family company, so I split the shares equally between me, dad, you and Padfoot."

Remus was touched by his nephew's generosity, but he refused to take a handout. So far Harry had done everything for this company. Not only did he come up with the runic array to make this company possible, but he was also the one that was funding everything. For Moony to accept an equal share in the company was unacceptable to him. He wouldn't take money for doing nothing.

"Your generosity speaks highly about your character, cub. I'm flattered you would offer me this, but I can't accept it."

Harry had to force himself not to roll his eyes at his adopted uncle. "This is not charity, uncle Moony. I want to make you CEO of the company, and I promise you'll earn every knut that you make. You would be responsible not only for setting everything up, but also for the production and distribution of everything we make."

Remus was stunned that his nephew wanted to place him in charge. He would have assumed he would ask his father first. When he looked over at his fellow Marauder and saw the hurt look on his friend's face, he felt horrible that Harry had asked him first.

"Harry, wouldn't you want your dad to be the CEO?"

When Harry heard the concern in Moony's voice he looked over at his dad, and knew what was bothering the werewolf. "Actually no, Moony," he replied confidently. "Once I convince you to become CEO, I have another idea for my dad and uncle Padfoot."

James felt a little bad that his son didn't want him to help with the company. He knew Remus was a good choice, but a part of him was jealous that his own son didn't think he was good enough to run the company. But when he heard Harry had another plan for him, the jealousy and hurt were temporarily constrained by his curiosity.

"What do you have in mind for me and Padfoot, Harry?"

Harry hoped he had not underestimated his dad's desire to take his Wizengamot seat. Based on their conversation this morning, it really felt like that was something his dad wanted to do, but was unable to due to his family obligations.

"Before I tell you, dad. Can you please flip to the last page in the file I gave you. It has something that is just for you."

James did as his son instructed, and his eyes widened in surprise, when he saw that his son had signed over to him the land that contained the oil reservoirs. Normally he and Lily would never let a soon to be eleven year old have so much freedom, but ever since Harry came home from his medical procedure, both he and his wife realized how much of an adult their eldest son really was. Not only had he been taking care of all his own needs for the past few years, but with his massive intellect, and obvious maturity, he was worthy of making decisions for himself.

What bothered James was that his son didn't think he could provide for the family by himself.

"You're a very smart kid, Harry. Normally your mother and I would never even consider letting you make decisions this important, but after everything you've done these past few years, we know you're more mature than your age. While we don't necessarily like it, we both agree that you are more than capable of making your own decisions. But this is unnecessary, son. I don't need your money. It was your sound investment idea that found this place, and you should keep it."

"Aren't I your son, dad? Your eldest son?"

James could see the frustration clearly on his son's face, and he rushed to reply, "Of course you are, Harry. You know your mum and I love you."

"Than if I'm your son and the eldest Potter child, what difference does it make where the money came from? We both want to use it to increase the Potter Vaults. I know you spent a lot of money helping people get back on their feet after the war, dad. I also know you want to take your seat in the Wizengamot and that the only reason you don't is because you don't want to touch what's left of the Potter fortune. The land I signed over to you should be able to replenish the money you spent within 10 years. Based on the calculations Ripclaw and I made, those oil reserves should pay out 10 million galleons a year."

James could see how passionate his son was about this idea, but what confused him was why he was so adamant that he take his seat in the Wizengamot. "Why is this so important to you, Harry? Why do you want me to take my seat so badly? And how do you expect me to help with the company you want to start, if I'm stuck at the Ministry all day?"

Harry took a deep breath, because he knew he couldn't afford to make a mistake now. "First, I want you to take your seat, because I know how much you want to do what grandad did. You have always wanted to make a difference in the world and help people. That's why you joined the war, and that's why you became an Auror. But the best way to make a difference now, is to help make the laws that run our world. Based on the research I've done, right now the only people that are actively trying to make any changes are the Dark families. The neutrals vote with whatever is most beneficial to them and the Light families are basically just doing their standard reactionary actions. If we want things to change for the better, than we have to be the ones to act first."

"I can see how badly you want this, but even though we are an Ancient and Noble House, Padfoot and I would just be two seats among many."

"That's where you're wrong, dad," Harry explained patiently. "You're looking at two seats, when you should be viewing it as twenty six votes."

As soon as he saw the confused expressions on everyone's faces, Harry wasn't too surprised. He could understand his mum not knowing, since she was muggle born. Aunt Amy was excused, because most pureblood women weren't taught that type of information. There place was solely to take care of their husband and to provide him with heirs. Moony was also out, since he wasn't from a pureblood family with a seat in the Wizengamot, so he never really had a chance to learn about it. It was his dad and Sirius not knowing, that shocked him.

When he thought about how that was possible, Harry suddenly realized why it made sense. While both men were pureblood heirs of Ancient and Noble families, their education was hampered at an early age. For Sirius it was when he ran away from home at sixteen, and for his dad it was his grandparent's death when he was eighteen. As a result, neither of them completed the education that a Head of House usually gives to an heir.

"The original Wizengamot was formed by fifteen members that were each the Lord and head of magical clans throughout the British Isles. Many of these Lords were also members of the Muggle Nobility, having inherited the titles from their fathers or earning it themselves through their own deeds. To acknowledge these titles, the original members agreed that a certain number of votes were to be allocated to each one. A Baron would get three votes, a Viscount five, an Earl seven, a Marquis nine, and a Duke would get eleven votes. With me so far?"

When he saw everyone nod their heads in agreement, Harry continued, "Over the years the Wizengamot changed and these fifteen seats became fifty. As of today the fifty seats are separated into three voting tiers. The lowest are the fifteen Lifetime seats. These seats are not hereditary and each of them only receives one vote a seat. The second tier is the Most Noble Houses and this group is composed of twenty seats. Each seat is hereditary and receives two votes per seat. The last group is the Most Ancient and Most Noble tier. This group is composed of fifteen seats, with each seat worth three votes. After the three tiers, you have twelve votes used by the Minister of Magic, and five votes given to the Chief Warlock. Now even though the Wizengamot has changed over the years, they still acknowledge the votes allocated to a family's titles."

Harry paused so he could take in everyone's expression around the room. Even with his new memory, the rules behind the Wizengamot took him some time to figure out. He didn't want to rush his explanation and confuse the adults. When he saw no one had any questions, he decided to continue with his explanation.

"So you see, dad, since you're also an Earl and a Viscount your votes come out to 3 for the seat, five for being a Viscount and seven for being an Earl. In total, when you take your place in the Wizengamot you will have fifteen votes to work with. With Padfoot being a Baron and a Viscount, he brings another eleven votes with him. Together you would have twenty six votes between you two, and if you'd be willing to hear me out, I could possibly add another seventeen votes to the total. With forty three votes in your corner, not including the families you have longstanding alliances with, you would be a major voting bloc all on your own."

James was stunned by the political lesson he was getting from his soon to be eleven year old son. By the similar expression that graced his best friend's face, he knew Sirius was just as amazed by the new information they just received. He never realized how much knowledge he lost out on, when his father passed away. James' musings were interrupted, when he heard his wife ask, "How can you bring in another seventeen votes, Harry?"

For the past few days Harry had incorporated the outlook of the political scene in this new world, as well as a thorough investigation into the Genealogy of the Potter line, into his nightly studies. It was during one these sessions, that he realized the Potters potentially had access to another seat and a whole lot of votes.

When he saw his mother still waiting for his reply, he said, "The past few days I have been looking into the Potter Genealogy, and I learned a very interesting fact. While the Potters are an Ancient and Noble line, the majority of the wealth they possessed, was the result of absorbing it from the Peverell family. Around a hundred and fifty years ago, the only offspring of the Peverell line, was a daughter that married into the Potter family. At the time, the current Lord of House Peverell gave the Potters the majority of the money in his family vault, as a dowry for his daughter. The only thing the Potters didn't get, was the family heirlooms in the vault, a castle, and the Peverell seat on the Wizengamot. Since he knew the Potters would hold the last traces of his family's bloodline, the Lord Peverell only had one stipulation for a Potter to take up the Lordship...the person couldn't be both Lord Potter and Lord Peverell. As it stands, dad is currently Lord Potter. In three days I turn eleven. If at that time, dad skips me in the succession line and names Daniel as his heir, I would still be a Potter, but now I could claim the Peverell Lordship through the End of Line clause."

As soon as he saw the hurt looks appear on his parents faces, Harry rushed to ease their worries. "This won't change anything between us, mum. I would still be your son. I would still be a Potter. And most importantly, I would still live here at the Manor with you. The only thing that really changes, is that I add an extra name next to mine."

The uncomfortable silence that permeated through the room, was too much for Sirius to handle. He was impressed with his godson's plan for the future, and a part of him really wanted to give it a try. Even after all his years of faithful service as an Auror, there was still plenty of distrust associated with the Black name.

When Sirius took over the Lordship of the Black family, it was secretly his desire to one day have the Black name be spoken with pride. As he looked upon the new version of his godson, Sirius saw a brilliant young man who could truly change their world into a better place. Despite his youth, the Black of Blacks could just feel that supporting him was the right thing to do.

"James, Lily, I know this is a lot to take in, but Harry's right. If you do this, nothing has to change between you. I for one am really impressed with the future your son seems to be planning for all of us all, and I want to help him."

"But he's just a kid," Lily argued. "I don't want to lose him, Sirius. It seems like I just got my son back."

"And you won't, Lily," Sirius replied firmly. "But after everything that Harry's been through and achieved these past few years, he's not a normal kid anymore. He may be only eleven, but he has the maturity and intellect of an adult. If he's thought this decision through, than I believe in him. Taking up the Peverell Lordship, is just a political maneuver. It won't affect your relationship with your son in any way. Trust him."

Lily knew her friend was right. It was obvious that Harry wasn't a normal eleven year old. But after years of him being so distant, she finally had her eldest son back, and she was afraid of losing him again.

As she thought of what this move would mean for their family, Lily recalled how much Harry had already changed. With the amount of money he had at his disposal and the incredible intelligence he already possessed, if he really wanted to leave them, he could have done so already. The fact that he spent the past few weeks showering all of them with love and attention, she realized she would trust in her son's judgement.

"If it's okay with your father, then it's okay with me, Harry," Lily told her son.

When his son's green eyes turned towards him, James didn't know what to say. He was hoping his wife would choose to be the bad guy in this situation, but her decision made that a mute point. While he knew the Lordship wouldn't change things between them, he still felt like his son was growing up too fast. He'd already missed out on so many important points in Harry's life, he worried that the added responsibilities his son was taking on, would rob him of what was left of his childhood.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Harry? Even if you make me your proxy, taking up the Lordship would make you an adult in our world. Do you really want to do this so badly?"

Harry knew his father was concerned, and he understood the reasonings behind it. But no matter how much everyone wanted him to be a child, in reality he was an adult trapped in a child's body. He would try his best to enjoy the aspects of the childhood he missed on, but he had too many obligations to just be a normal kid. Voldemort would come back soon, and he would do everything in his power to protect the people of this world.

"I'm sure, dad," Harry answered confidently. "I know I'm only eleven, but I'm not a kid anymore. This is something that can help us change the world, and I want to do it."

When he saw the determined look on his son's face, James knew he wouldn't be able to change his mind. "Okay, son. If you really want to do this, then that's what we'll do. The day after your birthday, you will become the next Lord Peverell."

* * *

Harry walked into Ripclaw's office with a pounding headache. After spending so many years with the Weasley twins, he never realized how different twins could be. Fred and George seemed to agree on everything.

Unfortunately the Potter twins were not like that. His sisters may be identical in appearance, but their personalities were polar opposites. Where Rose was outgoing and mischievous, Violet was reserved and more bookwormish. While neither one butted heads with other people, with each other they were more than willing to start WW3. The fight that started early at breakfast had continued all the way to Gringotts, and now their constant bickering had given him a massive migraine.

Forcing himself to grit through the pain in his head, Harry held the door open for his dad, mum, sisters, brother, Sirius and Aunt Amy to enter the room. Alex was still doing her best to avoid him whenever possible, and since she wanted to pick up some new books in the alley, it was decided that Mooney would watch over her and Orion.

By the time everyone got settled into the small room, Harry took his seat next to his father. Thankfully he had arranged everything with Ripclaw before their arrival, so as soon as they sat down, the Goblin placed the emancipation papers in front of his dad.

Once James finished signing the papers, Harry reluctantly took off the Potter heir ring and handed it to him. Even though he knew what they were doing today was important, a small part of him regretted not being Lord Potter in this world.

Not wanting to give his dad a reason to doubt their planned course of action, Harry forced himself to smile as James picked up his wand and renounced him as his heir.

"I Lord James Charlus Potter, Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potte,r do renounce my eldest son, Harry James Potter, as my heir, and instead name my youngest son Daniel Charlus Potter as heir to the House of Potter. So I say, so mote it be."

When the light flashed between the wand and the heir ring, Harry smiled as he saw his father put the ring on his younger brother's finger. From the short time he had spent around the little tyke, Harry knew his brother had a good heart, and would make a great Lord Potter some day.

Once the Potter half of the ceremony was over, Harry watched as Ripclaw pulled out a beautiful diamond encrusted ring from an ornate wooden box. The platinum band had 'Fortuna Favet Audax' written on it, which Harry knew to mean fortune favors the bold.

Now that he had the ring in his hand, Harry was unsure of what to expect next, and felt a little uncertain at continuing. Summoning his Gryffindor courage, he placed the ring onto his index finger, and smiled when it shrunk to fit it perfectly.

As soon as he turned around to hug his father in celebration, a piercing scream stopped them from continuing. Rose and Violet had escalated their fight to a physical altercation, and the adults were now doing their best to split the pair up. During all the commotion, Harry could feel his migraine intensify, so he wasn't thinking clearly when Ripclaw handed him a second ring that he put on without hesitation.

By the time Lily was able to separate the two girls, Harry finally realized he had a second ring on his hand.

"Ah, Ripclaw, what was that second ring you gave me?"

His question took the adults in the room by surprise, and they all looked towards the Goblin for an answer.

"When you sent your letter to Gringotts two days ago, Mr. Potter, you expressed your desire to claim the Lordships you were eligible for upon your emancipation. Allow me to be the first one to congratulate you, Lord Peverell-Daniels."

"Daniels?", Harry exclaimed. "In none of my Genealogy research, was a Daniels family connected to the Potters."

"Of course it wasn't, my Lord. You inherited the Lordship to the Ancient and Noble House of Daniels through your mother."

"How is that possible?", Harry asked, unable to believe the sudden turn of events. "My mother is a muggle born witch."

Ripclaw summoned a book with a snap of his fingers and quickly flipped through it. "Ah, here it is. Your mother was born to the heir of the Daniels family, Anthony Arthur Daniels and his wife Jessica Sarah Daniels nee Matthews, who was a seventh generation Witch from the Matthews family in America. According to our records, the Daniels family moved to America after the death of Lord Arthur Jeffery Daniels by Grindelwald, in May of 1943. From 1943-1960, the Daniels account has had multiple withdrawals from Gringotts NY and Gringotts Dal in the US. On January 7th 1960, Mr. and Mrs. Daniels visited their vaults here at Gringotts London, and their deaths were registered on January 27th, 1960 for Mr. Daniels and January 30th, 1960 for Mrs. Daniels. As per our records, your mother is in fact a pureblood Witch that was muggle raised and not muggle born."

Lily was struck dumb at hearing the news. Growing up she knew she never looked like the rest of her family, but whenever she would ask her parents why, they just told her she looked like a long dead aunt.

It never once occurred to her that she was adopted. Now that she knew the truth, she wondered why they never told her. She could understand not telling her while she was still at school, but once she was married, they should have told her then. Unfortunately with their deaths at the hands of Death Eaters during the war, she would never have a chance to ask them.

When she whispered why softly to herself, Lily felt her husband's strong arms wrap around her.

"They were your parents, sweetheart. They probably didn't tell you anything, because they never considered you to be adopted. You were always just their little girl."

Her husband's words reassured Lily, and she granted him a small smile as a reward. Before the tender moment could continue any further, the pair heard the Goblin clear his throat and say, "If you don't mind, can we please finish the rest of our work here today. I still have a lot to do today."

"Of course, Manager Ripclaw," Harry replied politely to the irritated Goblin. "What more needs to be done?"

Ripclaw pulled out two sheets of parchment from a file on his desk and slid them towards his client. "These are the account ledgers for the families you have now claimed, Lord Peverell-Daniels."

**House of Peverell:**

**Titles:**

Marquis of Gordricston

Earl of Herefordshire

**Money:**

3,471,275 galleons, 12 sickles and 9 knuts

12 sealed trunks within the vault. Items unknown, as they may only be opened by the Lord Peverell.

**Properties:**

Peverell Castle-Lancaster

**Marriage Contract:** Made in 1841 by Ignotus Jensen Peverell and Ogden Cyrus Greengrass

Active: Daphne Isabella Greengrass and Harry James Potter-Peverell

**House of Daniels:**

**Titles:**

Viscount of Abengale

**Money:**

7,416,243 galleons, 3 sickles and 5 knuts

Books, jewelry and heirlooms valued at 3,000,016 galleons

**Properties:**

Daniels Manor-Bangor

15 Abbey house-London

Daniels Villa-Nice, France

Apartment-Dallas, USA

**Marriage Contract:** Made between Arcturis Black III and David Jeffery Daniels

Active: Alexandra Andromeda Black and Harry James Potter-Daniels

James was patiently waiting for his son to read through the ledgers, ready and willing to offer any help if he should need it, when he suddenly heard Harry whisper, "Morgana's saggy tits, I'm screwed."

Alarmed at his son's sudden use of profanity, James leaned closer to the read the two pieces of parchment, and his eyes widened in surprise at the marriage contracts. He was okay with the Peverell contract, since he went to school with Cygnus and Emma Greengrass, and knew they were both good people who stayed neutral during the war. What thrilled him was the Daniels contract, and he couldn't wait to share the news with his best friend.

"Hey Padfoot. Congratulations. Your daughter is marrying my son."

James grinned at the shocked expression on his best friends face and he couldn't help but feel that Fate had pulled off the perfect prank on his eldest son. It was certainly worthy of a Marauder, and he couldn't be more thrilled with the outcome. As soon as Alex had been born, the two friends had dreamed their children would one day get married, and now it looked like that dream would soon become a reality.

The small office erupted in chaos when his father and godfather started celebrating, and his mother and aunt demanded to see the ledgers. Through all of this, Harry wanted to bang his head against the Goblin's table.

When he came up with this idea, it was for the sole purpose of making a difference in the Wizengamot. Never in his wildest dreams, did he think he would be saddled with one, let alone two marriage contracts. The worst part was, he was pretty sure both girls hated his guts. Alex he could guarantee from his past experiences, and from what little he recalled of Daphne from his old world, she was known as the Ice Princess of Slytherin and almost never spoke to him at school.

"Ripclaw, please tell me there is a way out of these marriage contracts."

The Goblin's answering grin was enough to destroy the last bit of hope Harry was holding on to.

"I'm sorry, Lord Peverell-Daniels, but unlike marriage contracts used today, these ones are magically binding and completely unbreakable. Should the named participants fail to fulfill the contract, they will not only lose their magic permanently, but they also risk losing their lives. Now, if you have nothing else for me to do, I believe our business today is complete."

As he got up and began to usher his still celebrating family out of his account manager's office, Harry suddenly recalled the letter Fate left for him. Thanks to his new memory, he could recall it quite easily, and he realized this was the moment she warned him not to fight against. Unsure how he was supposed to win over two women that probably hated him, Harry decided he would just have to trust in Fate.


	7. A Day With Mum

**Chapter 7: A Day With Mum**

Harry sat down at the breakfast table and patiently waited for his mother to come downstairs. Since his dad was called into to work early, and with the twins and Daniel spending the day at their friends' houses, today's Diagon alley trip would just be the two of them.

When Harry learned his dad wouldn't be able to make it today, he was more than ready to postpone the trip till another day. Unfortunately his mum refused to be reasonable. She insisted they could no longer wait to get Harry some new clothes. Plus, she was adamant that if they waited to go on a later day, the alley would be packed with people and shopping for his Hogwarts supplies would take hours longer than necessary.

The sound of his mother's shoes echoing across the kitchen floor, pulled Harry from his musings, and he turned around and said, "Good morning, mum. Your breakfast is already on the table."

Lily smiled at her wonderful and helpful son. "Thank you, sweetheart. That was very nice of you."

Harry answered with a shrug. "No worries, mum. It was nothing."

Once his mother started eating her breakfast, Harry patiently waited for her to take several bites, and then casually tried a last ditch effort to avoid shopping. "Are you sure we can't go on another day, mum? I wouldn't want dad to miss out on seeing me get my first wand."

Lily rolled her eyes at her son's pathetic excuse to get out of shopping. "We've already talked about this, Harry. You've been stalling for weeks now, and since your Hogwarts letter has been here for three days, you can't hold off going any longer."

"But what about, dad?"

"Your dad loves you very much, sweetie, but if he can avoid shopping he won't really care too much."

"Lucky," Harry mumbled softly to himself.

Unfortunately for him, his mum's hearing was better than he thought. "Oh quit complaining, sweetie. It won't be that bad. The hardest part will be picking out some new robes for you to wear. Once that's done, we'll be back before you know it."

Harry snorted quietly at the thought. Between Madam Malkins and Flourish and Blotts, it would take his mother half the day to finish her shopping. In the end, he chose to try a different tactic to avoid the pain of shopping that women seemed to love. "What if she's in the alley today? You know our last conversation didn't turn out too well."

Lily raised an eyebrow at her son's poor attempt to get out of shopping. After dealing with the Marauders for so many years, she was well aware of the diversionary tactics the trio used to escape from doing things they didn't want to do. It seemed her son had picked up the same trait from his father.

Deciding to have some fun with him, she said, "Now Harry, is that really how you should act with your betrothed? Besides, the meeting didn't go that badly."

"Didn't go badly? She tried to kill me with her mind, mum. If you and dad had kept talking any no longer with the Greengrasses, I'm pretty sure she might have succeeded. There was nothing but hate in those cold blue eyes, mum."

Lily rolled her eyes at how dramatic her son was being. While the Greengrass girl was fairly quiet throughout the whole meeting, she never once did or said anything that would be construed as rude. It was nowhere near as bad as the reaction Alex had to learning the news.

"At least it wasn't as bad as the small disagreement you had with Alex."

Harry mock glared at his mother's lousy attempt at humor. "Has anyone ever told you that you're the Queen of understatements. Alex and I didn't have a small disagreement. I apologized for putting her in such an awkward position, and her response was to deck me in the face. I'm pretty sure that qualifies as more than just a disagreement."

"Fine. You win. Both the women you're betrothed to, hate you. Happy now?"

"Of course I'm not happy," Harry answered, his voice laced in outrage. "Why in Merlin's name would I want to marry someone that hates me?"

When she realized how upset her son was becoming, Lily knew her joke had gone too far.

"All of you are still really young, sweetheart," Lily replied soothingly. "You will have plenty of time to show them what a nice and caring boy you are. In a few years, I have no doubt that both those girls will thank their lucky stars that they are marrying you."

Harry's frustration failed to lessen even after hearing his mother's calming words. He didn't want to be married by a contract either, but he couldn't see a way for any of them to get out of it.

"I never once imagined that my idea to pick up some extra votes for dad in the Wizengamot, would stick me in the middle of two marriage contracts," Harry explained to his mum. "If I knew about them before hand, I swear I would have found us another way to get more votes. I'm nowhere near ready to get married, mum, but I also don't want Alex and Daphne to hate me for something that I didn't know about. I know you don't believe me, but they really do hate me. It's just frustrating that l am being blamed for everything. Before the contracts, I really felt like Alex was finally starting to hate me less, but now things have only gotten worse. If that wasn't bad enough, I've never even spoken to Daphne, and now she doesn't want anything to do with me. She wouldn't even respond to the questions I asked her while we were visiting at Greengrass Manor. The only time she spoke in front of me, was when her parents, you or dad spoke to her first. The whole situation just makes me so angry."

Lily could feel the pain and frustration her eldest son was feeling, and it tore at her heart. At first she had been angry with the contracts, but after going through them thoroughly, she knew there was no way to get him out of them. Since her son was stuck marrying the girls that were named on the parchment, she was at least happy with the girls that were chosen. She just wished the three of them could find a way to get along with one another.

As she thought of how she could help her son, Lily suddenly realized what she could say to give him some hope."You know I hated your father in the beginning. The first time we met, your father and Sirius played a prank on me, and I was furious enough to hex the pair of them into oblivion. For the next six years the Marauders made life hell for everyone at the school. Despite how often your father attempted to ask me out, at that time, I never once imagined I could love someone like James Potter."

"What made you change your mind, mum?", Harry asked curiously.

"He grew up, sweetie. Once I saw the strong, proud and caring man that was hidden behind his juvenile behavior, I could finally see someone I could spend the rest of my life with."

When she looked into her son's eyes, and saw his green orbs staring intently at her, almost begging her to help him, she continued, "I won't pretend you haven't made any mistakes in your past, Harry. But you're just eleven years old. At that age, you're supposed to make mistakes. You need to understand that these contracts are not your fault. No one could have guessed that they even existed. I know both Alex and Daphne are hurt right now, but in a way they have a right to be. Every girl dreams of the day they will get married to their Prince Charming. It's not your fault, but the contracts took away that choice from them. I know it's not fair for you, but right now they need a person to blame for this mess, and unfortunately that person is you."

Lily paused when she saw her son's shoulders slump in dejection, and shook her head when she saw him lower his head in defeat. She knew he still needed to hear the rest of what she had to say, so she reached out her hand and gently tilted her son's head back up.

"I'm not done yet, Harry," Lily said softly, her eyes boring into her son's, almost daring him to look away. "Today they might hate you, but in time that will change. Just like you, they both are young and allowed to make some mistakes. Once they take some time to really think about what happened, I know both of them will realize what their doing is wrong. You are not at fault for any of this. Besides, if I can fall in love with your father after years of wanting to kill him, there is no reason the same can't happen for you. You just have to do what your father did, kiddo. Show them the strong, proud and caring man I already know that you are."

When he felt his mother's arms suddenly wrap around him and gently pull him into a tender embrace, Harry tried to stop it, but he failed to prevent the tears from falling down his face. Even though he had people who truly loved him back in his old world, none of them had ever made him feel as safe and loved as he felt now. Just knowing that his mother was there for him, made all his anger and frustrations with the contracts melt away.

After a few minutes, Harry pulled back from the hug and used his sleeve to wipe the tears from his face. "Thanks, mum. I really needed that. You may be the Queen of understatements, but I also dub you the Empress of Amazing hugs."

Lily laughed at her son's joke, and suddenly she knew everything was going to be fine. "Now enough with the serious stuff. This is supposed to be a mother son day, and as both Queen and Empress, I demand we have some fun. So let's finish up breakfast and head to the alley."

All the animosity Harry felt at having to go shopping, disappeared at the thought of spending some time with his mum. He may be nineteen in his head, but after having missed out on a childhood filled with a mother's love, he fully intended to take advantage of this moment.

"Sure thing, mum," Harry replied with a shy smile. "I can't wait to have a mother son day with you."

Mother and son quickly finished their meals and then took their dishes to the kitchen, so the house elves could wash them later. The duo was heading upstairs to change before going to the alley, when Lily suddenly had a brilliant idea.

"You know, sweetie, since you'll need a trunk, I would be more than happy to give you my old one. It's the one I picked up when I was in my sixth year, so I splurged a little and got a three compartment one. It's already charmed to always be the same weight, and because of the Marauders, the security on it is pretty decent for a Hogwarts trunk."

At the sound of his mother's suggestion, Harry felt like a deer caught in the headlights. Not only did he have his own seven compartment apartment trunk from his old world, but his counterpart also had a beautiful three compartment apartment trunk. Since his own trunk was so full, Harry planned on using his counterpart's at Hogwarts. If he ever wanted to practice his Shadow Mage skills, or learn higher levels of magic, he would need a place that would give him the privacy to do so.

The trunk was perfect for his needs. Besides, the little bastard had really gone all out with it. Harry's own trunk was a standard apartment trunk that he picked up off the wrack. His counterpart on the other hand had actually had his custom made. The damn thing really was gorgeous.

Unsure what he should say to his mum, Harry decided the safest thing to do would be to tell the truth. "Ah, mum. I kinda, sorta, already have a trunk."

"What?", Lily asked in surprise. "When did you get a trunk, sweetie?"

Harry didn't want to ruin the happy moment that they just shared, but he couldn't think of anything but the truth to tell his mother. "Well, it was sort of supposed to be my runaway trunk."

Lily was hurt by the reminder that her son was once planning on running away. Not wanting to ruin the moment, she quickly schooled her expression and asked, "May I see it?"

Harry hesitantly pulled out a matchbox size object from his pocket, and tapped the top to enlarge the trunk. At the sound of his mother's gasp, he knew he was about to get yelled at. Unlike most trunks, the custom trunk his counterpart paid for, was made from gorgeous Mahogany wood. Thanks to the permanent polish charm placed on it, the reddish-brown color glistened off all of its surfaces. Instead of having a standard house patch attached to it, the Potter emblem was engraved by hand upon the top of the lid. All in all, the damn thing screamed money, and that's before you even got to the apartment on the inside.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER," Lily screamed in outrage. "What the hell are you doing spending this type of money? What reason could you possibly have for a custom trunk like this one?"

Harry gulped in fear at his mother's anger. In his old world, Sirius told him stories about the Legend of Lily Potter's wrath, and now seeing it first hand, he was scared out of his mind.

"I was running away, mum," he explained, trying to defend his counterpart's outrageous purchase. "I wasn't sure what type of apartment I could get in the muggle world. I am a kid after all. I guess I was kind of worried what type of places would rent to a kid, and I just wanted to live somewhere nice. The apartment really is beautiful, mum. It's got a living room, a master bedroom, two spare rooms, a library, a potions room, a workout room, a dueling room, and a full kitchen. It also came fully furnished."

"How much was it, Harry?", Lily asked, trying her hardest to control her anger.

"Twenty three thousand galleons," Harry replied with a grimace.

"WHAT?", Lily screamed again. "Of all the irresponsible and stupid things to do. I can't believe you would throw money away like this."

"I wasn't throwing it away, mum. It was a sound purchase. In case I couldn't find a decent place to live in the muggle world, at least I knew I would be safe inside of my trunk apartment. The security on it is state of the art, and since it was made from the best materials, I could easily pass it on to future generations. Besides, I thought I was leaving the magical world behind, mum. Not only was the trunk a safe place for me to live, but it also allowed me a chance to take some magic with me."

Once she was able to reign in her temper, Lily tried to logically think through her son's explanation. It did make sense to have an apartment on the go, especially if he was going to live in the muggle world. From her own time living in that world, she knew there were a lot of places that weren't exactly safe for kids his age.

Unfortunately, if he was trying to find a place to live as a kid, those areas were more likely to allow him a room for rent, or even an apartment. She didn't like the fact that he spent so much money on a trunk, but she could at least understand his reasoning.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, sweetie," Lily replied calmly. "I understand why you bought the trunk, but I hope you realize why I was upset with you. Just because you're a well off young man, doesn't mean you should spend your money so carelessly."

Harry breathed a small sigh of relief, at his mother's change of heart. "I promise I won't throw money around, mum."

Lily nodded her head and asked, "Have you made any other large purchases I should know about."

Harry gulped and briefly thought about lying, but after looking into Lily's icy green eyes, he thought better of it. "Just one more purchase, mum. And before you yell, it really was a necessity."

Lily sighed when she heard Harry try to rationalize his purchase, and she just knew it was going to be something big. "Just spit it out, Harry," she said, with only a hint of annoyance in her voice. "What did you buy?"

"I might have bought a Phoenix egg."

When she heard her son's answer, Lily decided he was going to be the death of her. She had no idea what would possess him to buy the egg, but now she was going to find out. The trunk was an excusable purchase, but her son could not have any possible reason to buy a Phoenix egg. It was most definitely a frivolous purchase, since it was useless to anyone that hadn't bonded with it.

"Why exactly did you decide buy a Phoenix egg, Harry?"

Harry was surprised by his mother's question. He thought the answer would be obvious. "I bought it because I bonded to the Phoenix that was inside it, mum."

Whatever her son was going to say, Lily was not prepared to hear him admit to bonding with a Phoenix. Not only was it impossible for a child to form a familiar bond, but Phoenixes only bonded with incredibly powerful Witches and Wizards. The only person in Europe with a bonded Phoenix was Albus Dumbledore.

"How is that possible, Harry?," Lily asked her son in awe.

"I don't know, mum. I walked into Diagon alley and I immediately felt a pull on my magic. I just followed the pull to the Magical Menagerie and found the Phoenix egg. When I touched it, I heard her speak to me in my mind."

Lily knew her son wasn't a liar, but even she had a hard time believing the story he was telling her. "Could I meet her?", she asked hesitantly.

Harry grinned at the request and eagerly nodded his head in agreement. "Sure, mum. Let me just call her. Hedwig."

Lily couldn't stop her jaw from dropping, at the site of the beautiful bird that appeared in a blaze of blue fire. She watched as it flew to her son's shoulder, and shook her head in wonder, once it began to nibble on his ear affectionately.

"This is truly remarkable, sweetheart. It's unheard of for children to be able to form a familiar bond. But to form one with a Phoenix at your age, I just don't know what to say."

Despite all the knowledge he possessed from his old world, Harry was still clueless when it came to knowing about the finer points of the Magical community. It never occurred to him that children couldn't form bonds with a familiar. He was always really close with the Owl version of Hedwig, and no one really thought that was weird. He just assumed bonds were part of a normal Witch and Wizard's magic.

When he thought about his mother's reaction to Hedwig, for the first time Harry realized how many problems bonding with a Phoenix would cause for him with Dumbledore and the rest of the magical community. "I guess this really isn't normal. Right mum?"

At the sound of her son's question, Lily was still struck dumb by the whole situation. By the time she realized what he said, she couldn't stop herself from laughing.

"No it isn't, Harry," she replied with a smile. "But I guess things with you just aren't going to be normal."

Harry sighed in relief, at his mother's accepting tone. "Would you like to meet her, mum?", he asked shyly.

Lily could only nod her head eagerly. She'd seen Dumbledore's Phoenix a few times during the war at Order meetings, but she had never gotten the chance to actually interact with one.

"Mum, this beautiful creature is my familiar, Hedwig. Hedwig, the beautiful and brilliant woman in front of you, is my amazing mother, Lily Potter."

Lily blushed a little at hearing her son's praise, and her eyes widened in surprise when Hedwig flew through the air and landed on her shoulder. As she took in the bird's snow white color, she marveled how the blue in the plumage seemed to meld so perfectly with the rest of the body. By the time she reached Hedwig's piercing blue eyes, she was amazed at how stunning a creature her son had as a familiar.

"She really is gorgeous, Harry," Lily spoke without thinking. "You'll have a heck of a time explaining her to the professors at Hogwarts."

Harry grimaced at the thought of having to answer a ridiculous amount of questions from Dumbledore, and he knew the moment the old man learned of Hedwig, the headbastard would keep a very close eye on him at Hogwarts.

"Damn Hedwig," Harry mock complained to his familiar. "I wish we had a way to hide you. You're just too beautiful for your own good."

Harry was stunned when he heard Hedwig's reply echo in his mind. "_~If you need me to go unnoticed, hatchling, all you had to do was ask.~_"

Before he could ask his familiar what she was talking about, his jaw dropped as Phoenix Hedwig suddenly turned into her old Owl self.

"_~How did you do that, girl?~_"

"_~I am a Phoenix, hatchling. Part of our magic allows us to be able to create an illusion over our true selves. It wouldn't be good if we were easily recognized by poachers, now would it?~_"

Harry couldn't stop himself from laughing at her response. Now he wouldn't have to worry about taking his girl to Hogwarts with him. When he saw the stunned expression still plastered on his mother's face, he realized she couldn't hear his conversation with Hedwig, and quickly explained what just happened.

"Sorry about that, mum. I just told Hedwig that I wished she wasn't so recognizable, because hiding her was going to be a big pain in the arse. Apparently she wasn't too worried about it. According to her, Phoenixes have the ability to hide their true selves with an illusion. I won't have to worry about taking her to Hogwarts with me, because she is going to masquerade as a Snowy Owl."

Lily tried to wrap her head around everything that just happened, and decided it was just too much for her to handle at the moment. What she needed was some normal time with her son. Shopping for clothes, books and a wand, was exactly what she needed to clear her mind.

"That's great, sweetie. I'm glad you and Hedwig have a way to be together at Hogwarts. But if you don't have any more earth shattering news to share with me, how about we head off to Diagon alley. I could really use some shopping to clear my head right about now."

"Sure, mum," Harry replied with a smile. "Let's go to shopping."

* * *

As soon as they walked into Diagon alley, mother and son decided to leave the robes and books until the end of their trip. Working in perfect harmony, the pair quickly picked up the other items on the Hogwart's list.

Their first stop was at Amanuensis' Quills. Here the pair perused through the shop until they eventually they decided upon two dozen quills, a bottle each of blue and black ink, and enough parchment to last Harry until the end of term. After explaining to his mother the muggle notebooks and pens he was also planning to take with him for notes, they both agreed their current purchase was more than enough for now.

The next stop on their list was Slug and Jigger's Apothecary. Thanks to his time in the old world, Harry knew the Apothecary had a special Snape approved Slytherin package for all future snakes. So when he entered the store with his mother, he immediately asked for the Slytherin package, before Lily could ask for the standard ingredients.

When he saw Lily look at him with a cocked eyebrow, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I know he was your friend, mum, but after hearing some of dad and padfoot's stories, I figured the guy might be biased towards his own House. Looks like I was right."

Lily could hardly refute the claim, since the clerk was busy preparing the package her son had just ordered. When the clerk finished with the ingredients, and his mother moved forward to pay the bill, Harry quickly palmed an Owl order form and placed it in his pocket. After his time in the Chamber, Harry loved working on potions, but he didn't want to give his mother a heart attack with any more surprises. He figured it would just be easier for him to special order the ingredients he needed once he got to Hogwarts.

After the apothecary, the pair gradually made their way to Portage's Cauldron Shop and picked up three standard sized pewter Cauldrons. Once again, before they left, Harry palmed another Owl order form. While pewter sets were just fine for potions work in Snape's class, Harry would need more expensive sets to work on his numerous projects.

Lily intended to buy the telescope next, but Harry begged her not to. From his own personal experience, he knew muggle telescopes were significantly better than their magical counterparts. At first Lily was hesitant to break Hogwarts rules, but Harry won the day when he pointed out the letter said to buy a telescope. Nothing there said it had to come from a magical store.

With the majority of their shopping now complete, the pair decided it was time to head to Ollivander's Wands. Harry was a little nervous about making the trip. In his entire life, he had only ever used the Deathstick and his Holly wand. With the Deathstick now back in Death's possession, and the Holly wand sure to go to Neville in this world, Harry was uncertain what he would end up with. The last time he was in Ollivander's the only wand in the entire store that chose him, was his old 13in Holly.

Apparently his concern radiated through the link he shared with Hedwig, and he heard her voice soothingly speak into his mind. "_~Do not worry so much, hatchling. You will have a new wand by the end of the day. Of this I am sure.~_"

Reassured by his familiar's confidence, Harry entered Ollivander's with his mother.

"Ah, Mr. Potter. I was wondering when you would arrive. It's good to see you Lady Potter. 10 3/4 Willow with a Unicorn hair. Swishy and good for Charms. I trust it has been keeping you well?"

"It's good to see you too, Mr. Ollivander," Lily replied. "And yes, my wand is working perfectly. Thank you for asking."

When Harry noticed Ollivander's attention return back to him, he politely bowed his head and said, "It's good to meet you, sir. I look forward to getting my wand today."

"The wand chooses the Wizard, Mr. Potter, but you are correct. Let's get you a new wand. Now, which arm is your wand hand?"

Harry smiled and replied, "I'm ambidextrous, sir."

When Lily heard of yet another talent her son possessed, she just shook her head slowly in wonder. No matter how often she thought she had finally learned all about her eldest son, a new piece of information was just pop up and ruin all of her plans.

While this piece was nothing compared to his earlier revelations, it was still something new that she learned about him.

Wand after wand passed through Harry's hand, and with each failure, it only made Ollivander more excited. After an hour and a half of testing everything in his store, the old man finally admitted defeat.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but it seems I do not have any wands that can match your capabilities."

As soon as she heard her son wouldn't receive a wand, Lily refused to admit defeat. "There has to something here that can match with my son's magic. Don't you have anymore wands in the back room, Mr. Ollivander?"

Ollivander gently raised his hand and said, "Peace Lady Potter. The fact that none of my wands have chosen your son, only means I will have to craft one specifically for him. If you will please wait right here, I will need your son to come into the back room with me."

When he learned he would get a wand crafted just for him, Harry could barely contain his new found glee. He was just about to follow Ollivander to the back room, when he realized his mum had already been waiting here for so long.

Not wanting her to just sit there all alone, he turned back to her and said, "How about I meet you at Madam Malkin's, mum? I'm not sure how long this will take, and it will give you a head start on picking out some new clothes for me."

Lily was more than happy to agree with her son's proposal. The thought of being alone in the store wasn't something she was looking forward to and she gladly replied, "Okay sweetie. That sounds like a good plan. As soon as you're done just head over to Madam Malkins."

Once his mum had made her way out of the store, Harry turned around and followed Ollivander into the back room. He was surprised when the old man brought out a large box and placed it on a wooden table.

After opening it, Ollivander waived Harry forward and said, "Close your eyes, Mr. Potter and place your hand next to each item. Tell me which one calls to your magic."

Harry closed his eyes and followed the Wand crafter's instructions. After two attempts, he once again failed to feel any of the cores call out to him. By this time his anxiety was slowly building inside of him, and he was beginning to feel worried about getting a wand today.

That's when he heard Hedwig speak in his mind, "_~Do not worry, my youngling. I am here, and I have brought you the items you will need for your wand.~_"

Just then his beautiful familiar flamed into the room, and he saw her carrying a vial in her talon. Harry gently pulled the vial away from her, and as soon as his fingers touched the glass, he could feel whatever was inside pulling strongly at his magic.

"_~What is this Hedwig?~_", he asked his familiar curiously.

"_~It was part of snake faces belongings, hatchling," she replied knowingly. "~I believe it is a Basilik fang dipped in its venom. I am almost positive it once belonged to the serpent you defeated in the old world.~_"

Harry was momentarily stunned by the Basilik fang in his hand. Since the large serpent looked upon Riddle as its master, he could understand why Snake face had taken a fang for his own use. He was just surprised the man never used it to make a new wand."_~Thank you for this, girl.~_"

"_~You are welcome, young one. But that is not all that I have for you.~_"

With that the majestic bird leaped into the air and shook a single feather on to the table. Harry could feel the same pull from the feather as he did from the Basilik fang, and he knew he had the cores for his new wand.

"_~Be safe, hatchling. I will see you once you are done for the day.~_"

Harry watched the Phoenix disappear in a flash of blue fire and when he turned around, he saw the shocked look upon the old man's face.

"I guess you're kind of wondering what that was about? Ah, that was my familiar and she dropped off what you will need to make my wand. If you don't mind sir, I'd like to keep her a secret for now."

Ollivander finally snapped out of his shocked trance and nodded his head in agreement. "Of course, Mr. Potter. Your secret is safe with me."

Harry then watched the old man replace the box with wand cores with another box. As soon as he opened it, Harry could see dozens of different types of woods neatly arranged inside. Knowing what he needed to do, he closed his eyes and gently moved his hand over each one.

After a minute he felt something tug at his magic, and he stopped and pulled out the wood his hand was hovering over. When he opened his eyes, Harry was surprised the wood wasn't the Holly that he was used to. This one was as black as the midnight sky, but somehow managed to still glow when the light hit it just the right way.

Ollivander looked upon the young boy with amazement. The fact he was bonded to a Phoenix familiar, paled in comparison to the wand this boy was about to receive. Individually each of the cores he possessed were incredibly powerful, but together they would make one of the most powerful wands he had ever seen. When he saw the boy pull out the black Deathwood, he thought it was a fitting compliment to the cores he was going to use.

"Very surprising, Mr. Potter. The Deathwood is said to be a tree that holds power over life and death. Combined with your Phoenix feather and Basilik fang, it's a fitting component to your new wand. But the contrasting elements of your two wand cores will require a binding agent, so I will need a vial of your blood for the process."

Unsure what to do, Harry just nodded his head and handed the piece of wood to Ollivander. He then held his hand out and let the old man cut his finger with a conjured blade. Once the wand crafter had enough blood for the binding, he quickly healed the cut on Harry's finger.

"Is that all, sir?", he asked politely.

"Yes, Mr. Potter. Come back in two hours. Your wand will be ready then."

As soon as the old man turned around, Harry quickly made his way out of the store. He was about to head straight to Madam Malkins and join his mother, when he suddenly noticed the sign for Tom's Trunk Emporium out of the corner of his eye.

Even though he already had his trunk, Harry really had an addition that he wanted to make to it, and since his mum wasn't around, he decided now was the best time to take care of it. He ran over to the store, and quickly walked in. As soon as he did, he saw Tom stacking several Hogwarts trunks in the corner of the room.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but I was hoping you could help me make an addition to my trunk."

Tom turned around at the sound of a young boy's voice, and smiled when he saw the soon to be Hogwarts student. "Sure kid," he replied happily. "What can I help you with?"

Harry pulled out his sketch pad from the Mole-skin bag at his waist, and quickly flipped through it, trying to find the picture he was looking for. Drawing was an art he picked up from Voldemort's memories, and it was one of the few things he was thankful for after the download. When he finally found the picture in question, he showed it to Tom.

"Do you think you can add this to the front of my trunk?"

Tom looked at the drawing and nodded his head in agreement. "Sure kid. That'll be easy. Do you want it in color or black and white?"

Harry thought about it for a second and then decided color would be best. "I'd like for it to be in color please."

With his decision firmly made, Harry pulled out the matchbox from his pocket and enlarged it for Tom to do his magic. He watched as the man took his trunk into the backroom of the store, and ten minutes later he grinned at the site of Tom returning with it.

When Harry finally saw the front of the trunk, he couldn't believe how well everything turned out. He was already in love with the trunk before this moment, but after seeing how incredible the new picture looked on it, he could truly say his trunk was absolutely perfect now.

The top of the trunk still had the hand carved engraving of the Potter emblem, but the face of the trunk now bore the picture of a beautiful stag, and within its antlers rested a large bright red Lily. On the top left side of the stag, there was a black grim, and on the top right there was a silver wolf. All in all, Harry considered the picture one of his favorite drawings.

Once he was done admiring Tom's handiwork, he paid the 15 galleons he needed to for the man's services, and once again shrank and replaced the matchbox sized trunk into his pocket.

By the time Harry actually made it to the store, he walked into Madam Malkins, and immediately noticed his mother standing in front of a small mountain of clothes. He silently groaned over how painful this experience was going to be, and reluctantly made his way over to join his mother.

The next two hours were the worst of Harry's short time in his new world. When it finally ended, he wanted to jump up and scream with joy to the heavens. Along with the three sets of standard Hogwarts black robes, his mum also got, five extra Acromantula silk dress robes. One in emerald green with black trimming, two in midnight blue with silver trimming, one in silver with black trimming, and the final one in Gryffindor red with gold trimming. The standard wrinkle free, dirt free and auto-size charms had been put on all of them.

When Harry questioned his mother on why they were splurging with the Acromantula silk, she reminded him that he was now the Lord of not one, but two Most Ancient and Noble Houses. He would need to dress the part. She adamantly refused to let him be seen as anything less than the young Lord that he was.

Though he didn't have any proof, secretly Harry believed his mother was using the Lord thing as an excuse to dress him they way she always wanted. He knew his counterpart had seen her attempt the same thing with their father a few years ago.

The rest of the shopping spree finished with three pairs of dragon hide gloves, two pairs of dragon hide boots, a black winter coat, and a brand new muggle wardrobe. Complete with three pairs of jeans, seven new button down shirts, twelve pairs of t-shirts, a black leather jacket, and a dozen pair of underwear. Harry took the liberty of adding three muggle track suits and a pair of muggle running shoes, so he could train more easily while at school.

In total the final bill came out to 1235 galleons, but after seeing the happy look on his mother's face, Harry didn't say a single word about it. The pair eventually made their way to Flourish and Blotts and spent a lovely hour perusing through their new wares.

While his mother occupied her herself by looking for new books to add to her library, Harry took the time to do the same thing for his own personal collection. Once he picked up the books for all seven years at Hogwarts, Harry was quick to add Goshawk's Guide to Herbology, Charms of Defence and Deterrence, Practical Defensive Magic and the Dark Arts, Defensive Magic Theory, Theories of Transubstantial Transfigurations, Alchemy The Ancient Art of Science, and Advanced Potion Making, to his shopping cart.

By the time his mum was ready to make her own purchases, Harry had already bought and packed his books safely inside his trunk.

When mother and son finally made their return to Ollivander's shop, Harry was really looking forward to getting his new wand. As soon as they walked in, Ollivander was ready to greet them.

"Ah, welcome back, Mr. Potter and Lady Potter. I have been eagerly waiting for your return. Your wand is finished, and if I do say so myself, it was one of my finest creations."

With that, Ollivander pulled out a long red wand box and flipped the lid open to show the item that was inside. Harry was stunned by the sight of his new wand. The black wood was polished to glisten under the torch light and it was elegantly decorated with gold and silver trimmings. Unlike normal wands that were a single color, the black, gold and silver blended perfectly to give the wand a truly majestic look.

When he reached out and picked it up, Harry felt a sudden surge of power run through him, the likes of which he'd never felt before. Both the Deathstick and his Holly, paled in comparison to what he could feel from his new 12 1/2 in Deathwood wand.

While his magic continued to bind with the power from the two cores perfectly, the two people in the room that were watching him intently, could now see Harry literally glowing from the release of his magic.

Ollivander was awestruck by the most powerful wand binding he had ever seen in his life. He had already met the Boy Who Lived, and while he didn't doubt the boy would one day grow to be a powerful Wizard, he didn't think anyone he knew could compare to the power the boy in front of him was exuding.

If the child was this powerful now, he could one day grow up to become the most powerful person this world had seen in centuries. If not for the Phoenix that was currently bound as his familiar, Ollivander would have broken his promise to keep his client's secrets confidential, and he would have contacted Albus in regards to the boy.

"Incredible, Mr. Potter," Ollivander exclaimed. "I have never seen a wand bind so completely with anyone else. I hope you realize how powerful the wand you hold in your hand really is. Much like the Deathwood that gives it life, your wand's cores are a perfect balance between life and death. Supple but firm, this wand will be excellent for Transfiguration, Dueling, DADA and the Dark Arts. Unlike other wands that are Dark or Light centric, your wand is a true Grey. I expect to see many great things from you, Mr. Potter. With a wand like that, you have a chance to change the world."

When he walked out of Ollivander's with his mum, Harry finally felt complete. Ever since his arrival into this new world, he had been missing the feeling of having a wand in his possession. Now that he finally had one again, Harry was more than ready to do what Ollivander suggested. He was ready to change the world. First stop...Hogwarts.


	8. The Trip to Hogwarts

**Chapter 8: The Trip to Hogwarts**

The last weeks of August flew by in a blur for Harry. During that time he continued to build upon the relationships he formed with his new family. Thanks to his mum's urging, he even introduced everyone to Hedwig. Needless to say the family was delighted by her presence. Hedwig in turn seemed to feel the same for the family, and she would often come whenever one of them would call her name. The only one who had so far been banned from calling for her anymore, was Padfoot.

Apparently Hedwig was not thrilled by his calling her to help him pull off a prank at the Ministry. When she realized what he wanted her to do, she cuffed him to the back of his head with her wing, and disappeared in a blaze of blue fire. To this day she refused to answer any more of his calls.

Eventually September 1st arrived, and the family now found themselves at platform 9 3/4, bidding Harry and Alex goodbye.

When Harry saw the tears falling down his mother's face, a part of him felt horrible for leaving her side. If it weren't for the tasks he needed to complete to keep everyone safe, nothing could have torn him away from the mother he spent his last life dreaming about.

"Don't cry, mum," Harry said, as he tried to calm the older woman. "I promise I'll write you all of the time. Before you know it, a few months will be over and I'll be home for the Yule break."

Lily tried her best to be strong for her son. She just dreaded the thought that the distance between them would change the relationship they now shared. She already lost so many years being estranged from her eldest child, and she never wanted to feel that again.

Not wanting to ruin her son's special moment with her own insecurities, Lily forced a smile onto her face and said, "I'm going to miss you a lot, Harry, but I always knew this day would come. You've grown into quite the remarkable young man, and I want you to know how much your father and I are proud of you. I know you will study hard and do well in school, but I also want you to take some time and make some friends. Hogwarts is a wonderful experience, but it's even better when you have someone to share it with. If you give it a chance, I just know you will end up with friends that will be with you for the rest of your life."

Harry nodded his head, and promised himself that this time around he would get to know more people. In his old world he always hated how quickly everyone was ready to believe the worst about him, but now that he was older he realized a part of that was because no one really knew him except Ron and Hermione. This time he would make sure things would be different.

"I promise I will, mum."

After the hug with his mother was complete, Harry moved down the line to say goodbye to his father.

James hated that the son he only recently reconnected with was leaving the family so soon, but at the same time he was happy Harry would have a chance to experience Hogwarts. For the longest time he feared his son would never get this chance, and now that it was here, he was happy to see him take advantage of it.

When he saw Harry making his way towards him, James felt his heart skip a beat. Since the moment his eldest son was born, he often dreamed of this day and in those dreams he always saw himself handing Harry the invisibility cloak his father had given to him. Now that the moment had finally arrived, it pained him to think he couldn't give the cloak to his son anymore.

As the rightful heir to the House of Potter, it now belonged to his younger son Daniel. A soon as he realized that fact last night, it broke his heart to know he wouldn't be able to give his eldest son the gift that he imagined. Luckily he was married to the smartest Witch of her age, and she reminded him of another heirloom he still had in his possession.

His musings were interrupted, the moment he felt Harry's arms wrap around his waist. Holding his son in a tight embrace, he said, "I'm going to miss you, kiddo. I know you probably have every intention of taking full advantage of the education that Hogwarts can provide for you, just do your old man a favor and stop and smell the roses every once and awhile. Don't work so hard, that you forget to enjoy yourself."

When he pulled back from his hug, Harry nodded his head in agreement and smiled. "Don't worry, dad. I have every intention of being a good student while I'm at school, but I also know that I'm the son, godson and nephew of a Marauder. I won't let you down."

James was thrilled to hear Harry's declaration, and his chest puffed out with pride at the thought of his son following in his footsteps. After spending the past two months getting to know his estranged son, James was pretty sure he had lost the boy to his wife and her books. But to hear that his son would now continue with the Marauder tradition, made him want to jump up and down with joy.

"That's good to hear, Harry," he replied with a grin. "I have just the thing to help with such a noble cause."

With that James pulled out the Marauder's Map from his pocket and handed it to his son.

As soon as Harry saw the Map in his father's hands, he felt his throat suddenly constrict. His own copy was lost during the Battle of Hogwarts, and despite how hard he looked for it afterwards he was never able to find it again. In this world he expected to have to re-quire it from the Weasley twins, and he was thrilled he wouldn't have to make the effort to do that anymore.

"Is that really the Marauder's Map, dad?," Harry exclaimed, his fake awe masking the happiness he felt at having the Map in his possession again.

"Yes it is, son. Now, to activate it you just have to say the password...I Solemnly.."

"Swear I'm Up To No Good," Harry finished for his father.

James grinned when his son finished saying the password for him. He felt thrilled to know that Harry had been actually paying attention to the the stories he'd told him about the Marauders.

"You're absolutely right, kiddo. I guess you won't be needing any instructions on how to use it. I'm just sorry I couldn't give you the Potter cloak too."

At the mention of the Potter invisibility cloak Harry was surprised by the hurt expression that appeared on his father's face. It took him a moment to realize how much passing on that cloak meant to his dad.

In a bold moment he came up with a snap decision to ease his dad's worries.

"Hey dad," Harry said, as he leaned forward and whispered to his father. "I know you're sad about not being able to give me the cloak, but I just wanted you to know it's okay. The cloak was actually one of the few Peverell heirlooms that was handed over to the Potters. Whoever made your cloak, made the one I found in the Peverell vault. In a way it's the twin to the one Daniel will get, so you don't have to feel bad about me not getting it."

James was stunned to hear the news. He knew his son had visited the Peverell vault a few days ago, but he didn't know the boy had found another cloak just like his own. When he realized Harry had been planning to sneak the cloak to Hogwarts all along, the Marauder within him couldn't help but be proud of his son wanting to use it to play some pranks.

"Very clever, kiddo. You keep this up, and in a few years Padfoot and I will have to do something special to get you your own Marauder name."

Harry was glad his little lie was able cheer his father up. So when he heard the man's incentive to becoming an Animagus, he didn't hesitate to nod his head. Even though he already had two forms, he figured the lie was okay because it helped him get closer to his father.

"Thanks dad. I can't wait."

"Me either, kiddo. Now go on. The five minute bell is about to ring. If you don't hurry up, you'll miss your first ride to Hogwarts."

After he promised his dad that he would write a letter about the sorting tonight and send it with Hedwig, Harry turned to say goodbye to his three siblings. The last few weeks of August had gone a long way towards winning the trio over and improving their relationship with him. When he realized how much he actually cared about each of them now, Harry was glad this new world had given him a chance to become an older brother.

Grabbing all three of them in a tight hug, he leaned down and whispered, "When you guys get back home, I left you each of you few presents under the bed in my room. There's a box of Zonko gags for Rose, my old Nimbus 1800 for Daniel, and an Owl order form for Violet."

Harry grinned when he saw two of his siblings begin to cheer quietly in his embrace. Once he pulled back and saw the confused look on Violet's face, he realized he forgot to mention the account he created at the bookstore for her.

Pulling her closer to him, he said, "I know how much you love books, Vi. I set up an account at Flourish and Blotts for myself and I added your name to it. You're restricted from any advanced or dark books, but other than that feel free to use it whenever you want. Just don't tell mum, or she'll kill me for spending money uselessly."

Violet nodded dumbly as she saw her brother walk towards her uncle Padfoot. For so many years she hated being related to Harry, and now it felt weird that she actually liked being around this new version of him.

The old Harry was always angry and mean, and she hated having to spend any amount of time with him. This new Harry was the complete opposite. He was kind and caring and for once considerate of her feelings. At first she didn't want to believe that he would really change, but now that she could see the difference in his actions, she realized how much she cared about her "new" older brother.

As Harry made his way to say goodbye to his godfather and Aunt, he saw the pair finishing their hugs with Alex. When he saw her turn around, Harry was about to wave to her, but he stopped as soon as he saw her blue-grey eyes make contact with his own. The look on her face was so cold and unwelcoming, he knew it would be pointless to say anything to her now. Instead he watched as she walked by him, completely ignoring his presence the entire time.

By the time he turned around to bid his uncle and aunt farewell, he could see the looks of sympathy on both of their faces. Apparently his reaction to his betrothed snub was evident on his face, because he saw his aunt rush forward to envelop him in a hug.

"Don't you worry, kiddo," Amy cooed into his ear. "None of this is your fault. My daughter just needs some time to get used to the idea of being engaged. Ever since she found out about the contracts, she has been exchanging a flurry of letters with the Greengrass girl. I have no doubt once the two of them have the time to adjust, things will get better between the three of you."

"I just hope you're right, Aunt Amy," Harry replied sadly. "I hate the position my idea has put Alex and Daphne in. They really do have a right to be angry with me, but at the same time I hate that they're blaming me for it."

Harry's pity party was interrupted, when he felt his godfathers hand gently grip his shoulder and squeeze. "Do you really want things to change between the three of you, pup?"

"Of course I do, uncle Padfoot."

"Than just be yourself, pup," Sirius replied, his normally mischievous eyes suddenly full of knowledge and wisdom. "You're a remarkable young man, Harry, and I for one have no doubt that if you continue to be yourself, both your future brides will eventually see how great a catch they really got."

Harry had to force himself not to blush at his godfather's praise and quickly reached out to hug the man he had gotten so attached to. The differences between the Sirius of this world and the one from his old world were many.

Fourteen years in Azkaban had done a number on his other godfather. Thankfully the one thing both men shared in abundance, was the unyielding love they had for him. It was that very love that Harry felt as his godfather's arms held him on to him tightly, and he silently thanked Death and Fate for letting him have his godfather in his life again.

When the platform rang out with another warning whistle, Harry knew the Hogwarts Express was moments away from departing. He quickly pulled away from his godfather and gave his new family a final wave goodbye with his hand, before boarding the cherry red train. Without a medicine for the moment, he closed his eyes and slowly recalled all the happy new memories he made over the last two months. The gentle rocking of the train helped to calm him further, and soon he found his way to the land of dreams.

* * *

Hermione Jean Granger walked down the corridor of the Hogwarts Express, refusing to let hurtful words make her cry again. When she first learned about the existence of Magic, she was finally able to explain all the weird things that happened throughout her childhood. Between her own massive intellect keeping people at bay and the myriad of strange events that always seemed to follow her, Hermione was no stranger to being alone and made fun of.

A part of her truly believed all of that would change, as soon as she entered the Magical world. She was so thrilled to meet other Witches and Wizards, that when the train left the platform and her compartment suddenly filled with fellow first years, she was eager to introduce herself to the others.

Unfortunately, no sooner was her name out of her mouth, that her fellow peers began to shun her. One in particular, a blonde headed boy, was very mean and hurtful with his words. She wasn't sure what "Mudblood" meant, but Hermione Jean Granger was no one's fool. She knew the name was somehow derogatory towards her, and when the other kids started laughing, she chose to leave the compartment.

After five minutes of checking through various compartments, Hermione finally found one with only two people in it. Not wanting to have to spend the entire trip waiting out alone in the corridor, she summoned all of the courage that was inside her, and gently knocked on the door.

When she heard someone call out for her to come in, Hermione cautiously opened the door and walked into the cabin. As soon as she was inside, she quickly took note of the two other occupants in the compartment. The first was a beautiful girl with silky black hair and alluring bluish-grey eyes. Despite the robes she had on, Hermione could tell the 4'5" girl was in decent shape for an eleven year old.

The second occupant was just as pretty but had strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes that mirrored the sky in their color. While slightly shorter than the other girl, the blond wore robes that accentuated her petite frame. All in all, with her bushy hair and large front teeth, Hermione suddenly felt intimidated by the beautiful pair.

Once she realized both girls were now staring at her, Hermione forced herself to say, "Hi, my name is Hermione Granger. I'm sorry to bother you, but I was hoping I could share the cabin with the two of you."

Alexandra Black looked at the new arrival, and she immediately noticed the bushy hair and large front teeth that seemed to take away from the girl's natural beauty. Her searching gaze took in the girl's blue jeans and cream colored shirt, and it didn't take a genius to deduce the new arrival was a muggle born Witch.

It wasn't until she noticed Hermione's red and puffy eyes, did she realize the girl had been crying. With the amount of pureblood bigots that were currently on the train, Alex had no doubt that some arrogant arse had probably insulted the girl for being a muggleborn.

Just the thought that someone had called her a Mudblood, made Alex's blood boil with anger. Before the recent discovery that Aunt Lily was a pureblood, she had grown up believing her favorite Aunt was a muggleborn Witch. Unlike the past generations of Blacks, much like her father Alex refused to let blood status dictate who she would hang out with. She knew such an ideal made her an anomaly in the Magical world, but she didn't care. Both of her parents taught her to treat everyone the same, and that's exactly what she intended to do.

When she looked over to her soon to be sister-wife, Alex instantly recognized the same expression on Daphne's face. Despite being the same age as her, she really didn't know the girl before finding out Harry had ruined both of their lives. She felt happy to know that her fellow pureblood didn't follow in the footsteps of the majority of the community.

As soon as her eyes met the crystal blue of Daphne's, the pair seemed to have a silent conversation and with a nod of their heads came to an unspoken agreement. The pair turned to face Hermione and introduced themselves.

"Hello, Miss Granger," Daphne said in greeting. "My name is Daphne Greengrass."

Alex had to force herself not to roll her eyes at the coldness of her future sister-wife's tone. Even though she only knew the girl for only a few weeks, she was well aware that this Icy persona was just an act that she reserved for those she didn't know or didn't like.

Hoping to make Hermione feel more at ease, she smiled warmly at the girl, and said, "Hello, Miss Granger. My name is Alexandra Black, and you're more than welcome to share the cabin with us. It's not like we don't have enough room."

Hermione was thrilled with the invitation to sit down, and after getting some help from the girls to store her trunk, she took a seat next to Alexandra.

Daphne watched as the new girl made herself comfortable, and she was unsure how she should act around her. While she was proud of her pureblood heritage, she was in no way a blood purist. Other than the fact that she was a firm believer in maintaining the Statute of Secrecy, she had no issues with muggles or muggleborns. Her reticence came from her inability let go of her Icy persona around people that were not from her immediate family, and the jealousy she was feeling at seeing her only friend be friendly with someone else.

Two years ago, her best friend through childhood Tracy Davis betrayed her trust and told all her secrets to Pansy Parkinson, just so the purebloods would look past her half-blood status and pretend to be her friend. Since that day, Daphne created her Icy persona to deal with Tracy and the others. Over time that persona became a part of her, and now she uses it with anyone other than her parents, sister and brother.

Alex was the first person she let behind her Ice mask, and Daphne was still sometimes stunned at how quickly it happened. Even though the pair knew each other for only a few weeks, they bonded over their hatred for the boy whose greedy actions bound them into unbreakable contracts that were forcing them to marry him.

While she was happy with the relationship she'd forged with her future sister-wife, Daphne was uncertain if she was ready to trust letting the mask go with someone else. Her mum and dad had encouraged her to looks past Tracy and try to make some friends at Hogwarts, but Daphne was afraid of being hurt by someone she trusted again.

When she saw Hermione and Alex laughing in front of her, she had to squash the feelings of jealousy that erupted within her. She knew she couldn't control who her sister-wife could speak with, and if she ever wanted to have friends of her own, she would have to take the chance.

Daphne was pulled from her thoughts, when she heard Hermione ask, "What does Mudblood mean?"

Before Alex could respond, Daphne answered, "It means someone who has bad or dirty blood. Pureblood bigots often use it to refer to muggles and muggleborn Witches and Wizards. Did someone call you that, Miss Granger?"

Hermione was taken aback by the sudden arrival of Daphne into the conversation. By the cold greeting she received from the girl, she wondered if she shared the same views as the bigots she described. Not wanting to be rude, she replied, "Yes. Just before I came here, a group of first years joined my compartment, and after hearing my name, a blonde boy called me that and told me to leave."

Daphne's eyes narrowed at the mention of the blonde boy, and her first assumption was that it had to be Draco Malfoy. "Did he have grey eyes, slicked back blonde hair, and a permanent sneer plastered on his face?"

When she saw the answering nod from Hermione, Daphne shook her head in disgust. "That boy is Draco Malfoy. His father is a former Death Eater, named Lucius Malfoy. He somehow managed to evade Azkaban by claiming he was Imperiused and probably bribing half the Ministry. Since his dad is an important person in the Wizengamot now, little Draco likes to throw around his family name to get what he wants."

In between memorizing all her books for first year and researching the world she was about to enter, Hermione recognized Azkaban as the Wizarding prison, and the Wizengamot as the magical community's governing body. But she was confused by what a Death Eater was.

"I'm sorry, but what's a Death Eater? I didn't come across it in my reading yet."

As soon as she heard Hermione mention reading, Alex had a good inkling that the girl would probably join her in Ravenclaw. "They were soldiers for he-who-must-not-be-named during the last blood war."

When she saw the still confused expression on Hermione's face, Alex reminded herself that the girl was muggle born. "A few years ago, there was a movement based on blood purity that was led by a man named Lord V-v-voldemort. He was considered one of the worst Dark Lords in the past several centuries, and he was obsessed with blood status. It was his belief that Wizards should rule over muggles, and that purebloods should form the ruling class of this new world. During the war he killed thousands of muggles, muggleborns and pureblood families that spoke out against him. His name was so feared, it was considered taboo to say it outloud. My dad was an Auror at the time, similar to a muggle policeman, and he said the war was going badly for the Ministry. If Neville Longbottom hadn't destroyed him that night during Halloween, it's a good chance that the Dark Lord would have won."

"You keep mentioning blood status," Hermione said. "What is that?"

Daphne could see the curiosity clearly in Hermione's brown eyes, and it reminded her a little of herself. "Blood status can be separated into three categories," she answered, her voice almost similar to her mother's when she was explaining something. "Purebloods are Witches and Wizards who can claim a purely magical family for at least 15 generations. After that you have half-bloods. These can be split between three different types. The first type has one pureblood parent and one parent being a muggleborn. The second type has one pureblood parent and one parent that is a muggle. The third type is considered the worst kind of half-blood and it is made by having one parent that is a muggleborn and the other being a muggle. The next stage is formed by muggleborn Witches and Wizards, with muggles being considered the absolute bottom of the chain."

Hermione was absolutely horrified by the blatant bigotry that seemed to run rampant throughout the magical world. Professor McGonagall never once mentioned any of this when she came to tell her family about Hogwarts. Suddenly realizing why the kids from her last compartment hated her, she was curious about the blood status of her new acquaintances.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are the two of you?," Hermione asked hesitantly.

Alex saw the worry and unease her potential new friend was feeling, and she quickly tried to put her at ease. "Daphne and I are both purebloods, Hermione, but neither of us believe in blood supremacy. Until recently I believed my favorite Aunt was a muggleborn Witch, so I've spent a lot of time in the Muggle world. Daphne's parent were neutral during the last war, and I know they don't have anything against muggles or muggleborn Witches and Wizards."

"Since I'm a muggleborn, how will this blood status affect me at Hogwarts?"

"A few purebloods might be a little rude to you, but as long as you don't end up in Slytherin, it won't affect you too much," Daphne answered politely. "The number of muggleborn and half-bloods is actually greater than Purebloods, and since not every pureblood is a bigot, you should be all right while you're there. You shouldn't really face any problems until you graduate and look for a job."

"How so?," Hermione asked, furious at the thought that her blood status might affect her future career.

"Unfortunately, not only is the Ministry a male dominated place, but it's also steeped in traditions," Daphne replied with a slight grimace. "This usually means purebloods get the best jobs. If you're brilliant and score high on your O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, as a muggleborn the best you could hope for is a job as a senior undersecretary to a department head. If you could secure the backing of a powerful pureblood house, several more options will open up for you, but you will never be considered for any of the high ranking positions in the Ministry."

"THAT'S HORRIBLE," Hermione raged in response. "Why is this allowed? It's completely unfair."

Alex winced at the anger she could hear in Hermione's voice, and she felt badly for the Witch. "I'm not going to lie to Hermione. It is unfair. But until we can get people to make a difference, we're stuck with the stupid laws and traditions we have in place right now."

Hermione could see that both of her cabin mates were not at fault for the laws of the Magical world, so she did her best to reign in her anger and frustration. She wondered if Professor McGonagall didn't mention all of this to her parents on purpose. Hermione was positive if her father knew about the way the Ministry was run, he would have refused to let her go to Hogwarts.

While a part of her desperately wanted to learn everything she could about magic, it still hurt her to know she would never be properly recognized for her talent in the magical world.

Daphne could see the multitude of emotions flash across Hermione's face, and she decided it might be best to change the topic. "So, Hermione. Do you know about the houses at Hogwarts? Any preference?"

"I'm not sure," Hermione replied cautiously, still trying to gain control over her frustration. "I know about the houses, but I think I'd be best in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. I think I would be happy with either one."

Daphne arched her eyebrow at the answer, and she was surprised the girl would think of Gryffindor as an option. From the second year text she had in her lap, it was obvious the girl was intelligent and belonged in Ravenclaw. She herself was considering the house, since her first choice would leave her alone in the snake pit. Sometimes her mother shared stories of her time at Hogwarts and the rumors behind what happened in the Snake pit were awful to hear. Daphne really didn't want to be in the house of the cunning and ambitious, without someone she trusted watching her back.

"How about you two?", Hermione asked.

Alex shrugged her shoulders and replied, "My dad was a Gryffindor and my mum was a Ravenclaw, so I guess I would be happy with either one. If I had to choose I'd like Ravenclaw over Gryffindor."

When Daphne saw Hermione look towards her, she replied, "I would like to be in Slytherin since I think I'm both cunning and ambitious, but I really don't want to be in the Snake pit by myself."

Alex shivered at the thought of being in Slytherin. Up until her father, the majority of Blacks usually fell into the house of cunning or in some cases the house of the intelligent. Anything else would have led to dire consequences for past Blacks. After hearing stories about Slytherin from her mum and dad, she had no intention of ever being part of that house.

The rest of their conversation was interrupted, as the door to their compartment opened and two older Hogwarts students walked in. Daphne and Alex immediately recognized the P on each of their robes, and they knew the pair were prefects. From the robes they were wearing, it was obvious the boy was from Ravenclaw and the girl from Huffelpuff.

"Is there something we can help you with, Prefects," Daphne asked, her Icy mask firmly in place and her piercing blue eyes glaring at the the pair.

"Ah, ah, yes," the male Prefect replied dumbly. "We have need to discuss an important school related matter, and we need to use your compartment. I'm going to have to ask you three to move to another cabin until we reach Hogsmead."

Daphne's eyes narrowed with anger at the response, because she knew the boy was lying. "If that's the case, Prefect, it would be more appropriate for you to use the Prefects cabin at the front of the train."

Alex grinned when she saw the male Prefect wince and the female Prefect roll her eyes.

"Look girls," the female Prefect said, as she tried to explain the situation. "My name is Kaitlin and this is Jeff. Were actually going out, and now that our scheduled rounds are complete, we would like to spend some time together. We've already checked the rest of the train, and the only two compartments that aren't filled to the max, are this one and the one next to it. We tried that one first, but the damn kid in there is out like a log. I would really appreciate it if you could give us the cabin. We haven't seen each other all summer, and we'd like the time to catch up a little bit."

Daphne grinned at the tomato red color that Jeff was turning. She knew both of them wanted the cabin to snog, and she appreciated Kaitlin for at least being honest with her. When she looked to Hermione and Alex and saw them shrug their shoulders in response, she turned back to the Prefects and nodded her head in agreement. "Fine. You can have it. Just leave our things alone."

The pair happily agreed to the arrangement, and the moment the girls were out of the cabin, the door slammed shut, and the blinds dropped.

Alex glared at the shut door, since as the last one out of the room, it almost closed on her arse.

"Seriously, how good can snogging be? Those two couldn't even wait for us to leave to close the door."

Hermione snorted at the question and replied, "My mum says if it's done right, it feels like heaven."

When her two new friends began to stare at her, Hermione blushed and threw up her hands. "What? That's what she told me. It's not like I've actually tried it."

Hermione could feel her face burning at their continued stare, and she sighed happily when the two nodded and continued to the next cabin. No sooner were they through the door, that she heard Alex yell, "Merlin's balls. Of all the people it had to be, why did he have to be the one that was here?"

Daphne gasped at the curse and said, "Language, Alex. Your mother would be furious if she heard you now."

Alex was instantly embarrassed by her outburst. "Sorry, Daph. Just seeing him makes me furious enough to curse."

Once she finally made her way into the cabin, Hermione was curious about who the girls were talking about. The only person she saw was a raven haired boy that was sleeping in the corner of the compartment and snoring softly.

Hermione couldn't be sure of the exact measurements because the boy was still sitting, but she could tell that he was quite tall for his age. The black jeans and blue shirt that he was wearing made her think he was a muggleborn like her, but the fact that Daphne and Alex both knew him, she knew it made that assumption false. Overall she thought he was very handsome for a boy and she wondered why the pair was enraged at his presence.

"Who is he?," she asked the pair of girls that were staring daggers at the boy.

"He's the sorry excuse of a Wizard that Daphne and I are betrothed to," Alex snarled. "His name is Harry Potter."

Assuming neither of her new friends would want to sit next to him, Hermione was just about to take a seat, when she heard Alex's response. "WHAT?! How can both of you be betrothed to the same person? That's barbaric. Besides, we're too young to be married."

Hermione shut her mouth as soon as she she saw the angry pair turn their glares from the raven haired boy to her. "Sorry," she apologized. "It just took me by surprise."

Alex softened her glare, the moment she saw the repentant look appear on her new friend's face. A part of her could realize the reaction, because she did the same thing when she learned about the contract.

"It's not something that's common anymore, Hermione," Alex patiently explained to the muggleborn Witch. "Much like Muggle law, Magical law prohibits polygamy except when the Lord in question has multiple lordships. Since that hasn't happened in a long time, it wasn't really something that concerned most people."

Alex could see her bushy haired friend had a question, and without it being asked, she knew what it was. "The Peverell family was absorbed by the Potter's around a 150 years ago, Hermione. At the time the Peverell's only had a daughter, and so the Lord of the House knew his line was about to come to an end. Once he realized the family that his daughter married into would carry the last of the Peverell blood, he made an arrangement with the Lord Potter of the time. In return for receiving the majority of the Peverell wealth, in the event a future Lord Potter had two sons, the elder son would be allowed to take the Peverell Lordship, if he first agreed to give up the Potter one. Harry somehow managed to talk his parents into doing that, and a month ago he claimed the Peverell Lordship and his younger brother became the Potter heir."

"So he got the Peverell Lordship through his dad," Hermione stated, trying to understand the crazy world she was now a part of. "Did the second Lordship come from his mum then?"

Alex nodded her head and said, "Yeah. It really took everyone by surprise. Aunt Lily never knew she was adopted, so when Harry claimed a second ring from the Goblins, everyone was a little stunned. That's when Aunt Lily learned she was actually a pureblood, and that both her birth parents died right after she was born."

Hermione's brilliant mind raced to understand everything that she was hearing. While it was now apparent how Harry got two Lordships, she was uncertain as to why her friends were betrothed to him so early. "But even if he does have multiple lordships, why did your parents agree to marry you two so young?"

Daphne rolled her eyes at the question. She knew Hermione didn't know anything about the Magical world, but the questions still grated on her nerves. "They really didn't have a choice, Hermione," she replied with a perfect sneer. "Unlike modern contracts that are only made once a relationship has been formalized between the boy and the girl, Alex and I were dragged into pre-existing contracts."

Still confused by the entire situation, Hermione asked, "Isn't there a way for you two to get out of it? I mean do you really want to marry someone that was picked out for you by a contract?"

Frustrated, Alex threw her hands in the air and answered, "Of course we don't, Hermione. That's part of the reason why we're so angry with him. But we really have no choice in the matter. My contract was written between the House of Black and the House of Daniels a little over 70 years ago. The contract between the House of Greengrass and the House of Peverell was done 150 years ago. As they were both written to be unbreakable, should either one of us refuse to fulfill the contract, we would risk losing our magic and maybe even our lives."

Hermione was stunned by the news. The magical world was so backwards, she almost found it disgusting to be a part of it. Her two new friends were literally being forced by Magic to marry someone they apparently couldn't even stand to be around. The whole situation was just so unfair, she felt like ranting on behalf of Daphne and Alex. The only thing that still confused her, was why Harry was the one they blamed.

"I'm so sorry guys, that's just awful. But I'm still confused why the two of you are so angry with Harry. From what Alex said, he wasn't even aware of the second Lordship, let alone about the marriage contracts. If he's being forced into this marriage as well, wouldn't he be just as much a victim as the two of you?"

The silence that enveloped the cabin, was answer enough for Hermione. By the way her two friends were staring straight ahead, she could tell they were deep in thought. While she understood their reason for being angry, she realized the pair were blaming the wrong person.

Apparently they were just now realizing that fact for themselves, and she was more than willing to give them the time to understand it. Opening the second year book of spells she had in her lap, Hermione found a way to keep herself entertained.

* * *

Harry was happily dreaming about spending time with his new family, when his mindscape suddenly blurred and he found himself once again in the Gryffindor common room. As soon as he recognized the place, he heard the now familiar voice of Death say, "Hello, Mr. Potter. It's good to see you again."

When he turned around, Harry saw Death sitting behind the desk she was so fond of, and bowed gracefully at the waist. "The pleasure is all mine, Lady Death. To what do I owe the honor of this visit, my Lady?"

"Relax, Mr. Potter. You're not in any trouble, at least not from me. As my Champion the rules permit me to meet with you periodically."

Harry wasn't sure how to take her statement, so he decided to ignore it. "What can I do for you, Lady Death?", he asked politely.

Death stared at her Champion, unsure how she should deal with the current situation. This meeting was much earlier than she originally planned, because her Chosen One hadn't actually done anything yet. But the future was too important for her to allow Harry to return to Hogwarts with his preconceived notions about the people he knew from his old world.

"You will need allies for the coming war, Mr. Potter. I cannot afford to let you return to Hogwarts expecting people to act like the versions you knew of them in your old world. While in some cases it might be true, in others the personalities can shift quite drastically."

Harry was uncertain why she was telling him this. He was already aware of this, and planned on interacting with people all over again.

"Thank you for the warning, Lady Death, but I already decided to give everyone a fair shot."

Death stared at her Champion, uncertain if he truly meant what he said. "Are you sure about that, Mr. Potter? Will you also give the Weasleys a fair chance?"

Harry felt his anger erupt at the thought of spending time with the family that pretended to love him. "Is that what this is about?", he asked, his voice laced with the cold fury he was barely suppressing.

Death sighed when she heard the rage in her Champion's voice. She didn't want to anger the man, but she couldn't risk him shunning an ally, just because of his problems with them in his old world.

"To be honest, Mr. Potter, I have no idea if the Weasleys are important. Now that my future is a part of this, the rules prohibit Fate from letting me see any part of what could happen. Since my sight is now limited to the past and the present, I have no way of knowing who or what you will need to succeed. The help we already received from my sister, was all we can expect to get. As such, I can't afford to let you throw away a potential ally, just because you hate them in your old world."

Harry wanted to rage against the idea, and refuse to have anything to do with the Weasleys, but when he thought about Death's warning, he knew he couldn't afford to make such a mistake.

Once he finally accepted that he couldn't judge people by their counterparts in his old world, Harry sighed and said, "I understand, my Lady. I will try my best to judge each person on their own merits. Even Dumbledore and the Weasleys."

Death smiled when she looked into her Champion's green eyes and saw that he meant every word. Now that she was assured he wouldn't waste a chance at a potential ally, she decided to end her meeting on a lighter note.

"How go things with your betrothed, Mr. Potter?"

Harry winced at the question. "Not well, my Lady. It seems they're quite angry with me at the moment. I've been told to have patience with the situation, and that's what I intend to do."

Death nodded her head in agreement with his plan. "Patience is good for now, Mr. Potter, but do not wait too long to get to know both girls. Fate took an interest in your life, and that is something my sister has done for only a select group of people in the past 5000 years. If she has picked these girls to be your mate, then rest assured that they are meant to bring you happiness. As long as you remember to do the same for them, I have no doubt life will be pleasurable for all three of you."

When she saw her Champion deep in thought, Death allowed him a brief moment of reflection. As soon as she saw him look up at her, she asked, "Why have you not shifted into either of your Animagus forms?"

Harry was surprised by the question. He thought about making the attempt several times during the past two months, but he always decided against it because of his age. Self transfiguration not only involved having the magical power to make the change, but the body needed to be strong enough to survive the transformation. This is one of the reasons that it is forbidden for children to learn how to become an Animagi.

"I have resisted the urge to try, my Lady, because I assumed my body would be unable to handle the change."

Death rolled her eyes at his overly cautious attitude and replied, "Mr. Potter, when will you realize that you are not a normal eleven year old? Not only are you already taller and stronger than most children your own age, but your body is equipped with some natural advantages. The Phoenix tears in your blood is enough to negate any concerns about your body's ability to survive the transformation."

The young Lord grinned at the thought of being able to use his Animagus forms again. Now that he knew he would be able to survive the transformation, he couldn't wait to make the attempt. "Thank you for the advice, Lady Death. I look forward to changing into my forms again."

Harry could see that his time was almost up with his boss, and he realized now was the perfect time to ask about his Shadow powers. "My Lady, I do have a concern with the Shadow abilities your sister gifted me with. I've read through the book once already, but I have still been unable to perform a Shadow walk. I'm uncertain as to what I'm doing wrong."

"Your abilities are derived from the darkness, my Champion," Death explained. "In order to complete a Shadow walk, you must first be in a shadow or a dark place. Your gift is meant for you to be able to jump from one shadow to another. As long as you can picture it in your mind where you want to go, distance is meaningless for you. Once you have truly mastered the ability, you will be able to create your own shadows to move around."

When he realized he'd been trying to Shadow walk while sitting on his bed under a bright light, Harry wanted to slam his head into the wall. Now that he knew what changes he needed to make, he found another thing he was eager to try out. At the rate things were going, Harry didn't know when he would find the time to do everything he wanted to to.

"Thank you again for all your help, Lady Death," Harry replied politely.

Death just shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "No thanks are necessary, Mr. Potter. All of this is to help you succeed against Voldemort, and a victory for you is really a victory for me."

Suddenly Death saw a vision appear through her Sight. Luckily, since it was of the present she was still allowed to know about. "I do believe our meeting is over, my Champion. It's time for you to wake up and deal with the current problem."

Before he could ask what the problem was, Harry felt Death's palm slam against his forehead and suddenly he was thrown out of his own mindscape.

* * *

Draco Lucius Malfoy, heir of the Most Noble House of Malfoy, walked down the Express corridor surrounded by the friends his father's money had paid for. Walking in front of him for his viewing pleasure were Pansy Parkinson, and the half-blood Tracy Davis. Walking behind him to protect his back, were Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. The latter two didn't really do much talking, but Draco knew they were the perfect type of muscle to help him take over the Snake pit.

As he looked in yet another compartment, Draco failed to find the person he was looking for. Knowing he was almost at the end of the train, he felt his frustration begin to grow with each failure.

Just when he was about to yell at his "friends" for not doing a better job, Draco heard Tracy say, "I found the compartment, Draco."

As soon as he looked into the cabin and saw the object of his search, Draco opened the door without knocking and made his way inside. The moment he entered he immediately searched for any further people of importance, and he shook his head in disgust at those that were present.

"There you are Greengrass," he drawled, with the famous Malfoy arrogance oozing with each breath. "I've been looking everywhere for you. What are you doing here with a Mudblood, a squib and a blood traitor. Gather your things and we can return to my compartment."

Daphne was startled when she saw the door to the compartment suddenly open. As soon as she recognized the ponce that walked in, it was all she could do to not hex the bastard on site. Ever since they were children, Draco had been infatuated with her. It's part of the reason that he allowed Tracy to join their little group. He thought learning her secrets would make it easier to get her to like him. Little did he know that nothing in the world would get her to like an idiot like him.

"That won't be necessary, Draco," she replied coldly. "I am quite comfortable where I'm at. You can go ahead and return to your own cabin. Just make sure to take your goons with you."

Draco's eyes narrowed in anger, once he heard the casual dismissal from the blonde. "You should watch how you speak to your future betrothed, Daphne. Upsetting me could cause you a lot of problems in the future."

Daphne couldn't contain the smile that suddenly graced her lips. Now she couldn't wait to put the Malfoy heir in his place. "What are you talking about, Draco? I will never become your betrothed. In fact, I'm already engaged to someone else."

As soon as he heard the lie come through Daphne's lips, Draco snarled his displeasure at the obvious fabrication. "That's not possible, Greengrass, you're lying. Father looked through betrothal contracts earlier in the summer, and your name didn't appear on any of them. You'll be happy to know that my parents chose you to be my wife earlier this week. I have no doubt father will be contacting your parents soon."

Daphne smiled smugly as she replied, "My contract didn't become active until August 1st, Draco. Besides, why would I want to lower myself by marrying into a Noble house like the Malfoys, when I'm already contracted to marry a Lord from a Most Ancient and Most Noble house. Now, be a good boy and run along, heir Malfoy."

Draco might not have the cunning of a true Slytherin, but he was definitely cunning enough. By the way Daphne was acting, he had no doubt she wasn't bluffing about the marriage contract. What bothered him was the Lord that she was contracted to be with. As far as he could remember, the heads of all current Most Ancient and Most Noble houses were already married.

Furious at the thought of losing his prize to someone else, Draco demanded to know who the future groom was. "There is no single Lord of a Most Ancient and Most Noble house, Greengrass. Who could you possible be contracted to marry?"

Daphne just couldn't stop the grin from disappearing off of her lips, as she watched her private stalker continue to turn red from jealousy and rage. After all the trouble he'd caused her over the years, she just couldn't resist taunting him even further. "He's right behind me, Draco, and guess what? He's already taken up his Lordship."

Draco looked behind to see who Daphne was pointing at, and suddenly all his anger was abated. When he realized the boy was the Potter squib, Draco couldn't stop himself from laughing. He knew it wasn't very lordly, but at that very moment he didn't care. He was sure that Daphne was telling the truth, but apparently she was a better actress than he could have imagined. Just the thought of the Potter squib having a Lordship was just too funny for him to hear.

When he finally got a moment to gather himself, Draco looked at his blonde prize and said, "Enough with the games, Greengrass. Everyone knows that Potter is a squib. I'm sure his presence here is just a favor from the old goat to his parents. I seriously doubt that half-blood will even finish the year. Now I won't ask again...get your things and let's ago."

Daphne's smugness was replaced by ice cold fury, as soon as she heard Draco's command. "I knew you were stupid, Draco, but I didn't realize you were a complete idiot. Take your goon squad and leave, before you cause a problem that will cost your daddy a lot of money. I'm engaged. Get used to it."

Unable to control his fury any longer, he lashed out and slapped Daphne as hard as he could. When he saw the blonde fall to the ground and noticed the trickle of blood that appeared from the cut on her lip, he was happy with the results of his actions. His father always taught him that a Lord should be in charge and any who dared to defy him, should be punished swiftly and harshly.

When he saw the stunned expression turn to rage on Daphne's face, Draco had his wand out faster than she could get to her own. His actions caused the rest of his "friends" to do the same thing, and suddenly the trio of girls had four wands pointed in their direction.

Just as he was about to show his prize who she really belonged to, Draco suddenly heard the Potter boy growl. When he looked in the squib's direction, he was stunned by the glowing green eyes that stared back at him. Like the color of the killing curse, they were enough to give him pause.

Before he or any of his friends could even react, Draco watched in awe as Potter jumped up from his seat, and had his wand out in a flash. He was stunned when the supposed squib banished Crabbe and Goyle into the corridor, and then moved fast enough to grab the wands that were held in Pansy and Tracy's shaking hands.

By the time he realized he was being attacked, Draco felt Potter rapidly jab his two fingers into different spots on his neck, and his whole world suddenly erupted in pain. Between gasping for air and feeling like his entire body was on fire, Draco looked up at his assailant with nothing but fear in his eyes.

When he saw Potter lean forward towards him, he lost the last of his control over his bladder, and felt the warm liquid flow down the side of his leg. He shivered in fear as Potter began to whisper into his ear, "I have just shut off the flow of blood to your brain, Malfoy. That pain you're feeling right now, is just the beginning. In three minutes the pain will be almost unbearable for you to handle. In five you will have irreparable brain damage. And in ten minutes, Malfoy, you'll be dead. The best thing is, no one could ever say it was me, since it would be a ruptured blood clot that actually kills you. Now, nod your head if you understand what's happening to you."

As the pain continued to increase, Draco felt the tears fall from his eyes and he forced himself to nod his head in answer. "Good," Potter continued to whisper, just loud enough so only the two of them could hear. "This is your only warning, Malfoy. If you ever hit or harm any of the girls in this cabin, I swear that your death will be as slow and painful as I can arrange it. Do you believe me, heir Malfoy?"

When he looked into the green eyes of his attacker, Draco could see no remorse or fear. He didn't doubt for one second that the boy would ever hesitate to kill him. Shaking his head in response, Draco continued to cry, praying the pain would stop soon. Suddenly he felt Potter jab his neck with his fingers again, and his body was once more under his breath.

As he lay panting on the floor of the cabin, Draco looked up to see everyone staring at him. His face flushed at the thought of his public humiliation, and he quickly got up to leave. Just as he reached the door to the cabin, he heard Potter's voice come from behind him, "Malfoy, I do believe you owe the ladies in the room an apology before you leave."

Hating himself for the weakness he was about to show, Draco turned around and bowed slightly at the waist. "My apologies for my earlier actions ladies. I was wrong, and I hope you can forgive me."

The moment he saw the girls nod their heads, Draco left before Potter could think of anything else for him to do. His fear was so great at his departure, the last thing on his mind was getting some revenge.

As he walked away in defeat, Draco realized if there was one thing he didn't want to do while at Hogwarts, it was to make the Potter boy angry again. He had no doubt the boy would kill him the next time, and he didn't want to do anything that would rile him up. In that very moment, he decided to forgo anymore attempts at winning Daphne over. As far as he was concerned the blonde girl was dead to him.

* * *

When the last of the Malfoy goons left the compartment, Harry slammed the door shut and used his wand to _Scourgify_ the mess Draco had just made. As soon as he turned around and saw the trio of girls staring back at him, he mistook their silence for anger at his actions.

"Look, I'm sorry for getting involved," Harry tried to explain. "I know that girls are more than capable of taking care of themselves, but I am not about to sit around and watch as someone tries to hurt you. I know two of you don't particularly like me right now, and once again I'm truly sorry for binding you in that contract. Regardless of how you feel about me, know that I'll never let anyone harm you."

Harry sighed in frustration as he saw Daphne and Alex staring back at him. Uncertain whether he should say anything else in his defense, he turned his attention to last girl in the group. That's when he realized the girl was Hermione. When he looked into her familiar brown eyes, it took all of his willpower not to run over and crush his best friend in a hug.

Knowing he needed to introduce himself to this new version, Harry reached out a hand and said, "Hi, my name is Harry Potter. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's good to meet you too, Mr. Potter," Hermione replied shyly. "My name is Hermione Granger, but please just call me Hermione."

Despite the conversation he just had with Death, the moment her hand connected with his own, Harry just knew she was the same as his Hermione. The thought of having his best friend back in his life, made him almost giddy with happiness. It was all he could do to just smile at her politely.

As soon as the trio finally took their seats, Harry sat down next to his favorite bushy haired girl and closed his eyes once again. He wasn't ready to deal with any of the girls he found sitting in his compartment, but he was happy that they were all safe.


	9. The Sorting

**Chapter 9: The Sorting**

An hour and fifteen minutes after the Malfoy incident occurred, the Hogwarts Express thankfully pulled into the station on the outskirts of Hogsmead. By that point Harry had been so uncomfortable with the staring and the silence from the three girls, that even through his pretend sleeping he couldn't wait for the journey to come to an end.

When the train finally came to a stop, Harry silently followed the trio to the nearest exit. With the house elves in charge of transporting and placing the luggage into their future rooms, he knew the students didn't have to worry about moving any of the trunks.

As soon as he got outside of the train, Harry deliberately moved away from the trio of girls. He wasn't sure if they were scared of him, in awe of him, or just plain angry with him, but whatever they were feeling, it was enough to make Harry want to give each of them a wide berth.

Within a few minutes Harry watched the large collection of eleven year olds gather around the massive frame of Rubeus Hagrid. The moment he saw the gentle giant, he couldn't help but feel thrilled at the sight of the man. As the person who introduced him to the Magical world, Harry always considered the half giant his first ever friend. By the jovial manner and obvious gentleness he could see in this world's Hagrid, Harry was happy that this wasn't one of the differences Death warned him about.

"Hullo there everyone," Hagrid's voice boomed over the gathered children. "My name is Rubeus Hagrid and Im'a the gameskeeper here at Hogwarts. All you firs' years will be travellin' by boat t'get ta' the castle. Come on now and foller me. Make sure der ain't no more'n four ta' a boat."

As soon as everyone starting moving, Harry headed for a boat near the end of the line and as far away from the trio as he could get. Within moments he was joined by another trio of girls, as Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot and a brunette girl Harry didn't recognize sat down next to him.

In an attempt to be polite, Harry flashed the famous Potter smile at the girls and said, "Hello ladies. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Harry Potter."

When he heard Susan gasp and saw her eyes widen, Harry immediately knew she was surprised by his presence. Due to its small size, apparently the entire magical community was under the assumption that the eldest Potter was a squib. Unfortunately he actually had to deal with it a few times while walking around Diagon alley and running into people that knew the Potters.

"Yes that Potter," he tried to joke at the situation. "The information that is being passed around about me is wrong, because I was never a squib. I just had a medical condition that was misdiagnosed. Luckily I had it treated a few months ago, and now my magic is working just fine."

Susan felt a little guilty for her reaction and smiled awkwardly in return. "Hi Harry," she squeaked out. "My name is Susan Bones and this is my best friend Hannah Abbott. It's nice to meet you too."

Harry smiled and nodded at the pig-tailed Hannah and then turned to face the unknown brunette. He didn't recall who she was from his old world, and he found himself suddenly curious by her presence.

Apparently the girl could feel the others waiting for her to respond, because Harry heard her say, "My name is Blaise Zabini."

The shock he felt at hearing the name, was thankfully hidden by the sudden piercing shriek that echoed across the lake. Harry instantly flipped his wand into his hand, and stood up as his eyes began to search for the cause of the noise. When he finally saw the girl who was responsible for the shouting, he saw that she was laughing with the other kids in her boat and quickly realized it was just a joke and not an attack.

By the time he sat back down and returned his wand to the holster on his wrist, Harry looked up to see Susan and Hannah staring at him in awe, while the female Blaise just eyed him curiously. "Sorry about that ladies. Quick reflexes. I've been practicing with my dad. You know...the Master Auror."

Thankfully his explanation was enough for the girls and he saw them nod their heads slowly in response. The rest of the trip was held in silence, except for the loud gasps he heard once the Hogwarts Castle finally came into view.

The sight of the gorgeous castle under the pale moonlight was truly a breathtaking sight and Harry didn't begrudge the girls their awestruck expressions. He knew in his old world he'd felt the same way when he first made this trip and a part of him still felt like gasping along with them.

The little boats they were on continued their trek through a curtain of Ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliff face that surrounded the school. Soon the first years were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right under the castle, until they eventually reached a Magically hidden underground harbour.

Once the boat came to a complete stop, Harry jumped off first and politely reached out to help Hannah, Susan, and the shockingly female Blaise Zabini. Death's warning was never so evident, as when Harry heard the brunette girl say her name, because the Blaise in his world was actually a guy.

Thanks to his self imposed exile from the other students at Hogwarts, Harry never really got a chance to know the majority of his peers in his old world too well. While there wasn't much he could say about the Slytherin boy from his first time at Hogwarts, there was no mistaking that the person in question was definitely a male. After his most recent meeting with Death, Harry now found himself wondering how similar the female Blaise would be to her male counterpart.

After the three girls had safely disembarked from the boat, Harry led them to the Castle doors, where he knew Professor McGonagall would already be waiting with the other first years. Once Harry and the girls finally joined their peers, the stern Transfiguration teacher made a final check for any more students and then ushered the group quickly into the small antechamber at the entrance of the Castle.

There she proceeded to give them a well rehearsed speech on the virtues of each of the noble houses they would be sorted into, and at this point Harry was quick to zone her out.

Eventually the speech came to an end and Harry was thankful when the Gryffindor Head of House finally led them into the Great Hall. There she had the gaggle of nervous children line up alphabetically, while the rest of the school looked on quietly.

At the sight of his peers' actions, Harry remembered this was supposed to be his first trip to Hogwarts as well, and so he did his best to imitate his fellow first years by gawking at the floating candles and expressing his excitement at the site of the bewitched ceiling.

The whispered chattering that rumbled throughout the Great Hall, quickly descended into a solemn silence once McGonagall placed the patched and frayed Sorting Hat onto the three legged stool in front of the first years.

While his fellow first years waited nervously for The Sorting to begin, Harry turned his attention towards the Professors gathered at the head table. His eyes narrowed dangerously at the sight of the stuttering fool Quirrel and it took all his resolve not to attack the man immediately.

When he noticed the man staring intently at one of the first years in line, Harry followed the Professor's line of sight and winced once he saw the BWL massaging his head in pain. The tell tell signs of a Legilimency attack from Voldemort was easy for Harry to identify and now he certain that the Quirrel of this world was possessed by the Wraith form of the Dark Lord.

Once Harry was fairly certain that the DADA teacher was indeed a Voldemort lackey, the man's presence in the Castle was enough for him to assume that the Dumbledore of this world was as manipulative as the one from his old world. As the Headmaster of Hogwarts the wards around the Castle would have alerted him to the possession right away. The fact that Quirrel was sitting at the table right next to him, was enough for Harry to believe that the Philosophers Stone would be used to test Neville this year.

At the thought of his god brother, Harry returned his attention to the gathered first years and once again found him in the crowd of eleven year olds. From the little he was able to learn from his mother, after Frank and Alice Longbottom died in this world, Augusta quickly took over custody of her grandson.

In the days immediately following the Longbottom deaths, Agusta had without any hesitation allowed his mum to visit her godson on the weekends. But after Neville turned four, she suddenly became incredibly paranoid about her grandson's safety and placed the Longbottom Manor under the Fidelus. Ever since that day, she only made trips out of the family Manor to deal with business in the Wizengamot and kept Neville hidden from the rest of the world. Which sadly included Lily Potter as well.

Harry was suddenly startled out of his thoughts, as the whole hall burst into applause for the end of the hat's song. Once the clapping came to a close, Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a large roll of parchment in one hand and the sorting hat in the other.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said sternly, her eyes daring anyone to be disobedient. "Good. We shall begin. Abbot, Hannah.

Harry watched the blonde girl eagerly make her way to the sorting hat and put it on. Her knees bounced in excitement, as she waited for the hat to make a decision. As soon as the hat shouted out HUFFLEPUFF, the table full of badgers erupted in applause and welcomed their newest member.

The next person to be called was Alexandra Black. No sooner was the hat on her head, did it shout out RAVENCLAW. To be honest, Harry wasn't particularly surprised by the choice. From his counterpart's memories and his own brief interaction with his betrothed, Harry knew she was really smart and an excellent fit for the House of the Intelligent.

As the next few names were called, Harry was able to accurately predict the majority of people to their houses. So far the only names he had a problem with were the ones that didn't exist in his old world. Like Jessica Boot. Apparently Terry Boot had a twin sister in this world, and unlike her Ravenclaw brother, she was sorted into Gryffindor.

The next name to be called was Hermione Granger. Harry remembered her sorting from the old world, because it was almost as long as his own. She eventually admitted that it took a lot of time convincing the hat not to put her in Ravenclaw. When he saw the hat placed on top of her head, Harry was surprised by the sudden shout of RAVENCLAW that followed.

Hermione was the first person that changed houses from his previous knowledge, and a part of him was worried at seeing that. It was always his desire to befriend her again in this world, but if Death was right and she was one of those people that were different here, than maybe they wouldn't work the second time around.

Harry was pulled from his musings, once he heard the name his other betrothed being called out by McGonagall. The Daphne of his world was commonly known as the Ice Queen of Slytherin, and from the brief bit of time he'd spent around the girl in this world, he was more than certain their personalities were a match. He was expecting Daphne to be sorted into the Snake Pit, so it came as a big surprise when the hat shouted out RAVENCLAW instead.

Between Hermione, Daphne and the female Zabini, Harry could easily see why Death's warning was so important for him to heed. Despite how many accurate prediction he'd already made, there were still quite a number of new students and old students that were defying the norm from his other world.

With this new information at the forefront of his thoughts, Harry realized he had to be careful in dealing with the people of this world. If he didn't want to lose a potential ally, or make an enemy out of one, he would have to give each person a fair shot at a new first impression.

The names following Daphne flew by with a quickness, until the one everyone had been waiting for was announced. "Lord Neville Longbottom."

As soon as his god-brother's name was called, Harry along with the rest of the hall was stunned by the title that came with it. In his old world Neville had never taken up his lordship as a first year. Since he was the Boy-Who-Lived in this world, Harry could see Augusta's hand clearly in this maneuver. By granting him his emancipation and allowing him the Lordship early, the Dowager Longbottom had made Neville nigh untouchable at Hogwarts. Sure he might deal with some hazing, or minor duels in the hallways, but no one truly attack a Lord of a Most Ancient and Most Noble House. For someone to attempt that, well, not even Lucius Malfoy's influence could keep that person out of Azkaban.

"_Oh my god, that's him. He looks so cute_."

_"I can't believe he already has his Lordship._"

"_Do you think he actually did any of those things in the books._"

Thanks to years of practice he received during his own tenure as a child celebrity, Harry had no trouble ignoring the multitude of people whispering about the Boy-Who-Lived. When his eyes zeroed in on the boy reaching for the sorting hat, Harry saw him completely for the first time and he was startled by the differences this Neville had to his own.

While this world's Neville matched the old Neville in height, that's where the physical similarities came to a crashing halt. The Neville in this world was much thinner than the chubby eleven year old Harry had once known, and it was obvious he was in excellent shape. By the way the boy walked to the stool, Harry could tell he was filled with a sense of purpose. It wasn't the arrogant swagger that Malfoy used, but it was the confident step of someone who knew exactly what they were capable of.

Along with everyone else in the hall, Harry looked upon this sorting with keen interest. At the three minute mark, it had long ago surpassed the sorting that the old Neville had undergone. Just before the five minute mark the sorting came to an end and the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR."

Harry had to force himself not to glare at Weasley twins, as they jumped up and began singing, "We got Neville. We got Neville. Yeah, we got Neville."

A part of him knew that he would need to give all of the Weasleys a chance in this world, but a larger part couldn't forget how each and every one of them pretended to care about him, just so they could leach from his fame and fortune.

Soon the sorting began to pick up pace and as he got closer to his own name, Harry wondered if the Hogwarts book of names was updated after he accepted his own Lordships. His question was soon answered when he heard McGonagall call out, "Lord Harry Potter-Peverell-Daniels."

Harry ignored the myriad of whispers that erupted after his Lordships were announced. As he made his way to the sorting stool, he could see the stunned expressions on the faces of the Professors at the head table, but none interested him more than that of Dumbledore. The shock was clearly evident on the old man's face, and when he saw the headmaster's eyes narrow dangerously at him, Harry knew the man was busy calculating how to use him in his little games.

While Harry was concentrating on the reactions of the teachers, the girls of the Great Hall were concentrating on him. At 5'4" and with two months of rigorous exercise under his belt, his muscles rippled under his blue and silver Acromantula dress robes, and he cut a striking figure on his way to the stool. From the confidence and power his stance seemed to exude, girls of all ages were quick to admire him. If a survey of the hall was taken at that very moment, the larger consensus would agree that the emerald eyed youth was good looking now, and would be devastatingly handsome by the time he grew up.

As soon as Harry sat down on the stool and placed the hat on top of his head, he was surprised he didn't hear the hat's voice echo within his mind. He was just about to ask McGonagall what was wrong, when he heard the hat call out, "Lord Peverell-Daniels, could you please lower your Occlumency shields?"

Harry winced at the number of gasps he heard throughout the Great Hall. He knew he was forgetting to do something, and now the whole school was aware of one of his talents. Quickly dispersing his shields, he immediately felt a foreign presence in his mind, and said, "_Hello hat._"

"_Thank you for lowering your shields, Mr. Potter. Now my young Lord, let us see what's in your mind. Hmmm...a dimensional traveler?That's incredible. You were also the Boy-Who-Lived in your own world, and you defeated by the age of sixteen? That is absolutely remarkable, Mr. Potter. You must have been quite the powerful Wizard. What's this? Merlin's balls boy, you're a Shadow Mage?! And the Champion of Death? How in the world am I supposed to sort someone like you?_"

"_Take a deep metaphorical breath, Hat. Can Dumbledork find out anything you learn from me?_"

"_No, Mr. Potter. The founders built me to be loyal to Hogwarts over the headmaster. Everything I learn from the sorting is strictly confidential. No headmaster has ever learned of the secrets I hold, and none shall for as long as I exist._"

"_That's good to know. I was worried about what would happen if Albus learned of my past._"

"_Be careful around him, Mr. Potter. I have seen the memories you have from the Albus in your old world, and sadly the two men are quite similar. I am no longer certain that the headmaster is a Light Wizard._"

"_Thanks for the warning, Hat, and I have every intention of staying clear of the headbastard. So, you want to finish this sorting now?_"

"_I leave it up to you, Mr. Potter. You have all the qualities to be in any of the houses. With the knowledge and power you now possess, it wouldn't really matter where I placed you._"

"_In that case put me in Gryffindor, Hat. If Albus plans to test the Boy-Who-Lived, than Nev is going to need all the help he can get to stay alive. He won't even have the luxury of having Hermione help him, like I did._"

"_If you're sure, young Lord_..." GRYFFINDOR.

When Harry sat down across from Neville at the Gryffindor table, he could see several sets of eyes staring at him curiously, and he ignored them all with practiced ease. He turned his attention back to the last of the sorting, and took careful note of where all the new and old faces were going. By the time the last person was sorted, Harry was surprised that the female version of Blaise still ended in Slytherin. He thought a female version would mean she'd end up in a different house, but he was wrong.

With the sorting now complete, Harry watched Dumbledore stand up to make his standard Start of Term speech, and cringed when he heard the headmaster's fake grandfather act. After learning about all of the old man's manipulations, it always disgusted him how easily he fell for the man's kind persona.

"The very best of evenings to you!," Dumbledore orated in a strong and powerful voice. "To those of you who are just joining us, Welcome to Hogwarts. To those who have already been here, Welcome Back. Another wonderful year of magical education awaits all of us, and I know we will all have a great time together. Before we begin our banquet, I would just like to say a few words. And they are...Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you."

Once the headmaster was done with the opening speech, Harry fixed himself a plate of steak and vegetables and quietly ate his dinner. As the conversation at the table slowly began to pick up, he was casually watching the students around him and his curiosity was instantly piqued by the Boy-Who-Lived.

Thanks to the lessons he learned in the time Chamber, Harry could tell Neville had been trained with proper pureblood etiquette. His manners were exquisite, and the confidence with which he interacted with other people was a far cry from the chubby boy who thought he was a squib.

What amazed Harry the most was that Neville was definitely embarrassed by all the attention he was receiving and yet he wasn't shying away from it. It was clear to him that while the boy was obviously aware of his fame, he wasn't used to the adulation in public. Yet like a natural leader, he accepted the praise but didn't allow it to let him become arrogant. Overall, Harry was quite impressed with the new Lord.

When he saw Neville break off from his conversation with Seamus, Harry was surprised when the boy looked at him and said, "It's good to finally meet you, Mr. Potter. I know Aunt Lily tried often to arrange some time for the two of us to meet, but my gran was adamant about not having people over. Sorry I didn't get a chance to see you before today."

Harry remembered his mother telling him that once Longbottom Manor went under the Fidelus, Augusta refused to let anyone know the secret. She wouldn't even let Lily go over and visit Neville. For the past seven years she'd been exchanging letters and gifts with Neville, through a Gringotts authorized mailbox.

"It's not your fault, Mr. Longbottom. My mother told me about the circumstances behind your disappearance and as far as I am concerned, you have nothing to be sorry about."

"Thanks, and please call me Neville."

"You're welcome, Neville and please call me Harry."

"So, how come you took up your Lordship so early, Harry?," Neville asked, curious about the reason.

"It was a chance to activate an Ancient and Noble House, and I thought it would be useful when my dad takes his seat in the Wizengamot. Since I've assigned my proxy to him and my uncle Padfoot, they both now have extra votes to work with."

Neville could understand the political ramifications of the move, but what surprised him was the second Lordship. From his own Genealogy research, Neville was well aware of the Potter connection to the Peverells. He just never knew they were connected to the Daniels.

"I get how you got the Peverell Lordship, but how are the Daniels connected to the Potters?"

Harry grinned and replied, "Simple, my mum married my dad."

It took a moment for Neville to register what that meant, and when he did, his eyes grew as big as saucers. "You got the Daniels Lordship through Aunt Lily?", he asked his god brother.

"Yup," Harry answered, enjoying the shocked expression that appeared on Neville's face.

"When I took up the Daniels Lordship, we learned that my mum was adopted and that her real parents were both purebloods."

"Merlin's balls," Neville exclaimed at the news. "I can't believe it."

Harry nodded his head in agreement and said, "Yeah. It took mum by surprise too. She tried writing her sister about it, but Aunt Petunia hates magic, so she didn't reply to any of her letters."

After a few moments of silence, Harry was curious about why Neville took up the Lordship. "How about you, Nev? Why did you take the Lordship so early?"

"Protection," Neville replied honestly. "Since I was a kid I've know about me being the stupid Boy-Who-Lived, but since I spent all my time at the Manor, I didn't have to worry about people trying to hurt me. Once I convinced my gran that I wasn't going to be home schooled anymore, she decided if I had my Lordship, it would help deter most people from trying to hurt me. If it meant getting out of the Manor, I was more than willing to do it."

Soon the pair began speaking of lighter things, and Harry learned how different this Neville really was from his own. His gran had gotten a special permit to get the boy a wand two years early, and she hired tutors to teach him all of the core subjects. While the new Neville was only adequate in Herbology, he apparently was really good at Transfiguration and DADA.

When he thought about how prepared the Boy-Who-Lived already was, Harry knew it was in his best interest to speed up his god-brother's training. Between Dumbledore's manipulations and all the threats Neville would face over the next few years at Hogwarts, Harry wanted to make sure his god-brother would be prepared enough to live through it all.

Once the feast finally came to an end, the tables were magically cleared and Dumbledore rose to make his final announcement.

"Before everyone leaves for their beds, I have a few start of term notices that I wish to announce. The first years please note that the Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden for all students. Also, our caretaker Mr. Filch, wishes me to remind you that the number of items prohibited on the Hogwarts banned list is now at 372 and a copy of it can be found in all common rooms. Finally, this year the third floor corridor on the right hand side, is completely out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. That is all. First years please follow the Prefects to your common rooms. Good night everyone."

When he saw the Gryffindor first years begin to follow the Prefects out of the hall, Harry got up to join the group, but stopped when he saw Neville still sitting at the table.

"Aren't you coming, Neville?", Harry asked politely.

"Ahh, no, Harry. I actually asked for a Lord's room, so I'm waiting for McGonagall to come get me."

Harry was stunned when he heard about the Lord's rooms at Hogwarts. During the years he spent in the time Chamber in his old world, he learned all about pureblood customs, etiquette, wizarding law and the rights and privileges afforded to Lords and Ladies. Not once in any of that training, did his damn teacher ever mention the option of having your own room at Hogwarts. Harry was expecting to share a dorm with four other guys for the next seven years of his life, but now that he knew there was a better option available to him, he was going to do everything in his power to secure it.

"Are you sure about this, Nev?," Harry asked, hoping his new friend wasn't trying to pull a lame prank on him.

Neville pulled out a History of Hogwarts and flipped it to the Lord's section. He pointed to the relevant paragraph, and then gave the book to Harry. It only took him a second to read through the rule, but once he was done, Harry was satisfied he would be getting his own room tonight.

"If you don't mind, Nev, can I wait here with you?"

Neville shrugged his shoulder and replied, "Sure mate."

By the time McGonagall made her way to their table, only a handful of upperclassmen were still left in the Great Hall.

"Mr. Potter, what are you doing here?," McGonagall asked sternly. "You should have followed the Prefect to the Gryffindor dorms."

Harry flashed the strict teacher a smile and in his best Lordly manner, he said, "My apologies Professor, but as a Lord of two Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses, I would like to request my own room."

McGonagall was taken aback by the request. She knew of Harry's status from the sorting, but she still hesitated to grant him the room. In the rare event when a student became a Lord while still at Hogwarts, they were usually in their sixth or seventh year. At that age she didn't mind allowing them their own personal space. But first years were out of the question. She only agreed to Neville, because there were safety concerns associated with the Boy-Who-Lived and Augusta had personally flooed her over it.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but I can't allow that. Those rooms are reserved for older students and you are much too young to be on your own."

Had he been a normal eleven year old, Harry would have wilted under her stern gaze and instantly agreed with her. But since he wasn't a child, he had not intention of doing so.

"I apologize Deputy Headmistress, but in this situation the correct form of address for me would be Lord Peverell-Daniels. According to Hogwarts a History under the Lords heading, paragraph 2, section 1, it states: _In the event a student has taken up the Lordship/Ladyship of his or her House, for an additional fee, they will be allowed to room separate from their peers. As long as the student can prove he or she is the Head of their House, this privilege can not be denied to them. _As you can see Professor, nothing in this rule states what the student's age should be."

Harry then handed the book to McGonagall to read, and at the same time flashed his Head of House rings, so she knew he could verify his claim of Lordship.

Professor McGonagall stared into the emerald eyes of the first year in front of her, and she was surprised when he calmly met her stare without flinching. Students regardless of their age quivered under her glare, yet this first year didn't even seem to be phased by it. A part of her still didn't want to grant the request, but he was right about the rules.

"Are you certain about this, Lord Peverell-Daniels?," she asked the first year, hoping she could still get him to see reason. "Part of the experience of Hogwarts is to spend time with your peers and form new friendships. Don't you want to spend time with kids your own age?"

"I thank you for your concern, but I'm sure about this professor," Harry replied politely. "If it's any consolation, I have every intention of befriending my peers. I plan to spend a lot of time in the Gryffindor common room doing just that. The only thing that will change, is that I will have some privacy when it's time to go to bed."

McGonagall still didn't like it, but the Transfiguration Professor really didn't have a choice. The rules were the rules, and since she was already granting a room to another first year, she reluctantly agreed to do the same for Harry. "Very well, Lord Peverell-Daniels. I will arrange for a room to be cleaned for you right away. Please wait here while I escort Lord Longbottom to his new quarters."

As he watched his god-brother leave with McGonagall, Harry couldn't stop the grin from appearing on his face. With a room of his own, not only wouldn't he not bhave to worry about living with a bunch of eleven year olds, but he could also use his apartment trunk to continue with his training. All things considered, he was happy with the way things turned out.


	10. Midnight Conversations & First Day

**Chapter 10: Midnight Conversations and First Day of School**

As she walked through the wooden door with a bronze eagle knocker on it, Alex caught her first glimpse of the Ravenclaw common room and it was everything her mum described to her. The room was beautifully decorated and spacious, with a dome like ceiling and seven arched windows that were permanently Charmed to provide plenty of daylight regardless of the time of day.

Elegant blue curtains hung on each of the windows and they perfectly matched the midnight blue carpet that stretched across the room. A multitude of tables could be found all around the large circular room, and several comfortable couches were placed at its center. The finishing touch to her new House, was created by the small, but ornate library that was located next to Ravenclaw's statue. All in all, the common room was just like she imagined from her mother's stories.

"Wow, this is incredible," Alex mumbled softly to herself.

Her voice must have been louder than she expected, because Alex saw the female Prefect turn around at wink at her. "Indeed it is, Miss Black. As far as I'm concerned the Ravenclaw common room is truly a work of art, designed to give our students ample space and perfect lighting so they can study at any time of the day. Along with the small but extensive library that is only available to the Ravenclaw House, our Head of House usually allows us certain privileges that you won't be able to find in the other Houses."

Hermione's personal moment of awe and wonder at the sight of the Ravenclaw common room was disrupted once she heard the Prefect mention the extra privileges that were afforded to Ravenclaw students. Her curiosity suddenly came bubbling to the surface, and she eagerly asked, ""What privileges do we get? Can we check out books from the Ravenclaw library? Are there any House sponsored clubs or study groups we can join?"

By the time Hermione finished bombarding the pair with her questions, the Prefects had led the first years to the sitting area of the common room. At this point the pair turned to face the group of awestruck first years, and the male Prefect answered Hermione's questions.

"Those are all excellent questions, Miss Granger, and I assure you I will answer them in just a moment. But first, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jason Delaney and my colleague here is Melissa Crowley. We are your 5th year Prefects. On behalf of Professor Flitwick and the rest of the House, we happily congratulate you on joining the House of the Intelligent and we welcome you to your new home at Hogwarts."

When he saw the curious and excited looks appear on the faces of all the gathered first years, Jason was thrilled at the sight. The House cup was won by totaling the combined points earned by all seven years, and he had a good feeling that this years firsties would be able to keep pace with the upper years in points received.

Jason was snapped out of his reverie from the elbow that he received from Melissa and he quickly smiled at the group and said, "Now to answer Miss Granger's questions. As Ravenclaw students we are granted certain privileges to help us achieve the standard of scholastic accomplishments that our House is known for. One of these gifts are the dorms that you will now be living in. Unlike the other Houses where all first year girls are placed in one dorm and boys in another, in Ravenclaw only two students are assigned per room. Each of the dorms has its own bathroom along with a large bed, a closet for your clothes and a study table with a comfortable chair. This is to give you the personal space you will need to study hard and hopefully to earn points that will help us win the House cup this year. Unfortunately since we have an odd number of girls this year, one dorm will need to share three to a room."

At this point Melissa jumped in to answer the second of Hermione's questions. "The common room library is for the use of any of the students in our House. The books are available on a first come first serve basis, but sadly you can not check any of them out. Professor Flitwick has personally Charmed all the items in the common room to stay here. If you tried to take a book or even a chair into your dorms, it would automatically return to this room."

Melissa looked over the tiny first years and once she was certain they really understood the rule, she continued, "Hogwarts has several clubs that you can join, but none of them are sponsored by our House. For those of you who are interested, a list of available clubs can be found on the Ravenclaw notice board next to the common room entrance. As far as study groups go, you are all encouraged to form your own groups. We know that some people work well with others, while others prefer to go at it alone. As such, we leave the decision up to you on how you want to achieve your academic goals. Regardless of what you decide to do, each dorm will be assigned a 6th year mentor that will help you with any problems or concerns that you might have. This mentor will be responsible for monitoring your scores from all of your classes, and he or she will also make up a study schedule if you are falling behind in any of them. You will be required to meet with your mentor twice a month, and missing is not an option. Should you miss a meeting, I assure you that your mentor will report this to Professor Flitwick."

Melissa allowed the first years a moment to absorb the news they just received and then she gave the final announcement of the night. "The two stairwells behind you lead to the Ravenclaw dorms. The one on the left is for the girls and the one on the right is for the boys. Boys are not allowed in the girl dorms, and the same holds true for the girls in the boy dorms. Any attempt by the opposite sex to climb the wrong stairway will not be possible. The dorm entrances are Charmed to not let in the opposite sex, so save yourself the trouble and don't bother trying."

After the welcoming speech was complete, the Prefects gave the first years some time to choose their new roommates. It was at this point that Alex looked at the silky haired blonde to her left, and then the bushy haired brunette to her right and said, "Looks like one dorm is going to have three people. So what do you say girls, do you want to room together?"

Daphne was already expecting this outcome and so she casually shrugged her shoulders in response, signifying she didn't really care, but that she was okay with the pairing. Meanwhile Hermione was thrilled that someone actually wanted to room with her and she eagerly nodded her head in agreement.

By this time the rest of the first years had also chosen their new roommates, and soon Melissa was taking the girls up to their new rooms. Once they reached the hallway leading to the first year dorms, the first room was taken by a pretty blonde named Lisa Turpin and Padma Patil, a black haired Indian girl that had a twin sister in Gryffindor. The second room was given to a slightly chubby brown haired girl named Mandy Brockelhurst and a small, black haired Chinese girl named Su Li.

The last room in the hallway was obviously meant for Alex, Daphne and Hermione and the trio couldn't wait to get inside and start unpacking. Just before the girls could open the door and see their new room, they heard Melissa inform them, "Since three of you are going to be living here, Professor Flitwick took the liberty of enlarging the room on your behalf and he also added a second bathroom for your convenience. The hamper for your dirty clothes is located inside your closet, and all clean items will be folded and returned on top of it. Feel free to make any changes you want ladies, and if you don't have any further questions I'll bid you all a goodnight."

The trio shook their heads in response, and after they all wished the Prefect a goodnight, Alex finally turned the doorknob and walked inside. The first thing she noticed was the size of the dorm she was in. Based on what she'd already seen while sneaking a peek at the other girls' dorms, this room was easily twice the size of her fellow Ravenclaws. With only one extra bed cutting into the added space, it was obvious that they would have plenty of room to walk around.

The majority of the room was taken up by three massive 4 post beds that were surrounded by thick maroon curtains to give the occupant a modicum of privacy. On one side of the bed was a large red closet for their clothes, and on the other side a matching red desk and a comfortable looking leather chair. Each of the desks was large enough to hold three open books on top of it and still allow plenty of space for a person to be able to use parchment and ink.

The wall in front of the desks had two bookshelves aligned in parallel, and it looked like they would allow for storage up to 10 books a shelf. Two doors could be seen on the right side of the room, and it was obvious they led to the personal bathrooms that were assigned to them. Overall the room was absolutely magnificent and neither of the girls thought they would have any problems living there all year.

When she saw the large window on the left side of the room, Alex hoped that her new roommates wouldn't mind letting her have the bed that was closest to it. "If neither of you mind, could I have the bed near the window?"

As soon as both of the girls shook their heads in answer, Alex squealed in delight and rushed forward to throw her stuff on the bed of her choice. Daphne and Hermione rolled their eyes at their friends' childish glee, and then looked uncomfortably at each other.

"Would it be okay if I took the bed closest the the bathrooms?," Hermione asked, her tone still shy and uncertain as to how Daphne felt about her.

Daphne thought about the question for a minute and found she had no problems taking the middle bed. As a light sleeper she had no desire to wake up every time someone went to the loo, and during winter her bed would be a decent distance from the draft that would inevitably come in from the window.

"Sure, Hermione," she replied happily. "You can have that bed. I prefer the middle one anyways."

While Daphne and Hermione were busy unpacking their things, Alex ignored the trunk on top of her bed and made her way to the large window that was near it. The sight that awaited her was absolutely breathtaking, and she gasped softly when she saw it. Their room was high up in the Ravenclaw tower, and it allowed for a perfect view of the Forbidden Forest.

Alex opened the window and took a deep breath of the fresh air that found it's way into the stuffy room. Beneath her she could see the meticulously kept gardens leading up to Hagrid's hut and above her the stars glistened like diamonds throughout the blackened sky. As beautiful as it was now, she could only imagine how great the view would look once the ground was covered with powdered white snow.

As she continued to take in the beauty around her, Alex's mind began to wander and she couldn't stop herself from thinking about the actions of her betrothed. Harry had once been her absolute best friend, but a few years ago things suddenly changed. Out of the blue he became mean and standoffish, and she never really understood why. When she tried to confront him about his anger, he'd blown up at her and told her he wouldn't continue to sully himself by being friends with a Black anymore. At first she had been hurt by his words, but the pain turned to anger when he told her he was positive that her dad was a Dark Wizard pretending to be Light, so he wouldn't have to go to Azkaban like the rest of her extended family.

Alex had punched him for that remark, and from that day on she never had anything to do with him again. Over the years her dad had approached her about the estrangement several times, but she always just made up an excuse and changed the topic. So many times she wanted to tell her father what Harry had said to her, but she knew her dad loved his godson very much, and she didn't want to cause him any pain.

As the years passed Harry's actions continued to remain the same, and as a result her hatred for him never diminished. She was more than content to spend the rest of her life disliking her former best friend, and then two months ago everything changed again.

Harry somehow found out he wasn't a squib and then he almost died fixing the problem. While she was waiting at Gringotts with the others for news about his condition, she was furious with his actions. She hated seeing the worried looks on her parents, uncles and aunt Lily's faces and it made her angry to think how little Harry cared about other people's feelings. The damn prat didn't even bother to inform anyone about what he was doing. If the Goblins hadn't contacted aunt Lily, no one would even have known he was there.

Once he was finally cleared to go home by the Goblin Healers, it seemed like he was a completely different person. The long speech he gave to the family upon his return, was truly eye opening. Many of the things he said helped explain why he suddenly became so hostile, but Alex still wasn't ready to forgive him for his past actions. His words might have been a lie, but she'd nursed her anger for far too long to just give it up in a single day.

The weeks leading up to his birthday were definitely interesting for her. Several times he'd try to corner her and beg her to forgive him, but she refused to do so every time. She wasn't ready to buy the new version of him, and she had no problem telling him so. She knew her words had been mean and hurtful, but she didn't care. As far as she was concerned his act was a lie, and she was the only one in the family that wasn't buying it.

Despite her actions and the things she said to him, Harry never once got angry with her. It wasn't until her father approached her and told her that Harry apologized to him and informed him about the reason behind their rift, that she was willing to give her estranged friend another chance. Two days later that decision crumbled into dust, the moment she learned she was contracted to marry the eldest Potter. All her dreams of finding her perfect Prince Charming came crashing down around her and the only outlet she had to release her frustrations, was the boy she'd spent so many years hating.

By the time September 1st rolled around, Alex couldn't wait to leave for Hogwarts, because her parents were driving her crazy with their insistence that Harry was blameless for the marriage contracts. Her hurt pride refused to listen to their advice and she was still angry as she boarded the Hogwarts Express. It wasn't until she was explaining the situation to Hermione, that Alex finally realized how selfish and unfair she being. As a third party that had no allegiance to any of them, she was taken aback by how quickly Hermione tore through her reasons for hating Harry for the contracts. By the time her new bushy haired friend was done, Alex had a lot to think about.

It was during this brief moment of self reflection that Draco and his groupies came waltzing into their cabin. At first she was surprised by Daphne's reaction to his presence, but when her cousin began to mouth off about claiming her blonde friend as his wife, she could understand why Daphne decided to taunt him with her marriage contract. However, his reaction to their verbal sparring was not what she expected.

The moment he physically struck her friend, Alex had every intention of hexing him right out of the room, but her plans were thwarted by the four wands pointed in her direction. At this point all the levity she was previously feeling had disappeared, and she quickly became afraid of what Draco planned to do to them.

It was at this point that she heard Harry growl and when she turned to look at him, she was stunned at the sight of his emerald eyes glowing the color of the killing curse. Soon after, the way he erupted into motion left her spellbound, and she still couldn't believe how quickly he took care of everyone in the room.

While she couldn't see or hear what he had done to Draco, Alex was certain it must have been something awful, since it caused the blonde boy to soil himself in fear. The following apology the girls received from the Malfoy Heir was also a first, because she had never in her entire life seen her wayward cousin apologize to anyone. The fact that he had done so only because Harry asked, was not lost on her at all.

Not only had Harry saved the three of them from certain humiliation by Draco and his groupies, he then turned around and apologized to them for not thinking they were capable enough to defend themselves. It was when he said he wouldn't let anyone harm them, regardless of how much they hated him, that she truly felt horrible for the way she had been treating him. By the look on her blue eyed friend's face, she knew Daphne was also regretting her actions towards their intended.

Now as she stood in front of her dorm room window, Alex didn't know what to feel. A part of her was still upset at being forced into the contract, but a larger part was beginning to see that Harry was no longer the boy she once hated. This new version of him was honest, kind, and if his actions on the train were any indication, incredibly brave.

If she was being honest with herself, Alex was actually a little jealous by the reaction he got from the older girls during his sorting. Uncertain how she should feel about the boy she would one day marry, Alex finally gave in to her frustrations and she vented with a scream. "AHHHHHH."

Daphne was carefully packing away her things, thinking about her recent actions towards Harry and she wasn't liking the conclusions she was coming up with. After what he'd done to save her on the train, she deeply regretted the way she had been treating him. She was trying to determine the best way to apologize to her fiance, when she suddenly jumped up in fear at the sound of Alex's scream.

"What the heck is wrong with you, Alex?," she asked her friend, still angry at being startled by the yell.

Alex turned around to face her future sister-wife, and just stared into her blue eyes for a moment.

"Are we going to talk about Harry at all?," she asked, knowing the trio had avoided mentioning the events that occurred on the train during dinner. "I don't know about you, but after what he did for us on the train, I feel like crap for the way we have been treating him."

"I do as well, Alex," Daphne replied with a sigh. "I just don't know what to do about it. Is a simple apology going to be enough for us to be forgiven? I shudder to think what could have happened if we hadn't sat down in his cabin today. I know Draco can be mean and offensive, but I have never seen him actually resort to violence before. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I was afraid of what he would do to us."

Hermione was trying not to eavesdrop, but the conversation was too close for her not to overhear. "What was the deal with his glowing eyes?," she asked curiously. "Is that normal for magicals, cause it was downright scary."

Daphne thought about the question briefly, and then shook her head. "That wasn't normal, Hermione. Some Witches and Wizards can achieve that by fully unleashing their magic, but those people are incredibly powerful. That should not have been possible for someone our age and I have no idea how Harry was able to do it."

The silence that took over the room made Hermione feel very uncomfortable, and uncharacteristically she tried to lighten the mood by adding some humor. "At least you got some good shots in on Draco, Daphne. And after what Harry did to him, I doubt he will bother any of us at Hogwarts or in the future."

Daphne knew the situation had been a bad one, but she still couldn't stop herself from smiling at the thought of Draco soiling himself in fear. The blonde ponce had been the bane of her existence since childhood, and if she was being honest, she loved seeing him get his comeuppance.

"I wonder what Harry did to Malfoy?," she said to herself, unknowingly voicing her thoughts out loud.

Hermione had been wondering the same thing since the fight ended on the train. Even during dinner she'd been wracking her brain trying to figure out what Harry did to Draco, but every time she came to a dead end. She had seen Harry use his wand to banish Draco's goons from the cabin, and watched as he utilized his speed to disarm the girls. But at no point did she see him actually do anything to the blonde boy.

"I wondered the same thing, but unfortunately Harry's body blocked our view of whatever he did to Draco."

Alex did think Harry's actions on the train were fascinating, but right now what he did to Draco was the last thing on her mind.

"That's nice and all, but what do we do about Harry? I don't want to keep being mean to him anymore, but I really don't know how to apologize to him."

"Why is saying 'I'm sorry' so hard for you to do?," Hermione asked. "You guys have all made mistakes, especially him. Saying you're sorry shouldn't be that bad."

When she looked at her two new friends, Hermione immediately saw the pair look down at their feet, and she could tell they were ashamed about something.

"Well," Alex began. "Daphne and I might have crossed a line yesterday."

"What did you two do?"

Daphne winced at the question, because she was really ashamed by what they had done at the party.

"Lord Black had a small get to together for Alex, Harry and myself at Black Manor yesterday," Daphne reluctantly explained. "It was to celebrate the three of us going to Hogwarts, but somehow Harry became the center of attention for the entire party. He had everyone eating out of his hand, including my dad, and I've never seen him warm up to someone so quickly. It almost felt like Harry had bewitched everyone."

Hermione knew she was still a newbie to the magical world, but after everything she'd seen and heard today, she wouldn't be surprised if something like that was possible. "Do you think he might have actually done that?," she asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

"We don't think so," Alex replied confidently. "My dad taught me a spell that checks for potions, and the two of us tested a bunch of the food and drinks at the party just to make sure. They were all clean."

Hermione felt a little disgusted that such tools were available in the magical world, and she was slowly beginning to realize this world might not be a wonderful as she imagined. If her new friends were to be believed, and she certainly had no reason to doubt them, Professor McGonagall failed to do a thorough job in explaining this new world during her visit.

After a moment the young Ravenclaw began to massage her temples gently with her hands, to ease the headache she was getting from all the constant shocks she learned about the magical world. Wanting to know more about what happened at the party, she shelved her worry over the magical community and asked, "So what did you two end up doing to Harry?"

Alex saw the stern look on her bushy haired friend's face, and she grimaced at the thought of answering her question. While she just met the girl, Alex felt strangely drawn to her. She couldn't explain the why or the how behind her feelings, but much like when she met Daphne, the moment she met Hermione she just knew the girl would end up being one of her closest friends. Now as she watched her new friend waiting for a reply, she could already guess how disappointed the bushy haired Witch would be with her answer.

"It was towards the end of the party," Alex answered. "Daphne and I had just spent the past two hours being ignored at a party that was supposedly being thrown for the two of us. So while Harry was busy being fawned over by everyone, the two of us just got jealous and angry over the whole situation."

At this point Daphne saw Alex stop, and she decided to help her friend finish the story. After all, she was just as much to blame and needed to take responsibility for her actions. "Before everyone started getting up to go home, Harry came over to where the two of us were sitting and tried to talk to us. He asked us if there was anything he could do to get us to forgive him, and for some reason after hearing his question I completely lost my cool. My jealousy over the party combined with my frustrations over the contract, and I told him I would never forgive him. I told him he was barely stronger than a squib, and that having to marry a weak Wizard like him would ruin my life completely. I even let him know how pathetic I thought he was, and that I intended to hate him for the rest of our lives."

When Daphne finished with her half of the story, Alex knew it was time for her to do the same. "That's when I took my shot at him. What Daphne said was bad enough, but what I said was worse. I told him I knew he hadn't really changed, and that deep down he was still the selfish prat he'd always been. I told him that I would never forgive him for forcing me to marry him, and that it probably would have been better for everyone if he'd just died that day at Gringotts."

Hermione gasped at hearing her friends actions, and she couldn't believe how cruel they'd been to the boy who saved them on the train . If it weren't for the fact that she could see how horrible they felt about their words, and that they truly wanted to repent, she didn't think she could ever be friends with the two of them.

Both Daphne and Alex were disgusted with themselves, especially after seeing the look of horror that appeared on their new friend's face. As soon as their eyes locked in on Hermione's brown orbs, the judging glare they found there, made them look away in shame.

When she saw the tears fall down both of their faces, Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself and tried to think of a way to help her new friends. Despite the fatigue she was feeling from the long journey, and the anger she felt after hearing what her new friends had done to purposely hurt someone else, she still felt driven to help them.

It almost seemed as if I higher power was pushing her to find an answer to help them. The more she thought about the current situation, the more she realized there was only one solution to their problem. They would just have to swallow their pride.

Hermione saw the pair staring at her and she could see they were waiting for her to say something. "What do you guys expect me to say to that?"

"I don't know about Daphne, but I want you to say you forgive me, Hermione. I can't explain why, but I know I don't want to lose you as a friend."

When she saw the bushy haired girl look at her, Daphne suddenly felt the same thing as her sister-wife. "I agree with Alex, Hermione. I really am sorry for what I've done, and I feel horrible about it. I also don't want to lose you as a friend either."

Hermione was touched by the response she heard from the pair. Never in her life had anyone actually wanted to be her friend, and now she suddenly had two people who were worried about losing her friendship. A part of her wanted to jump up and down and scream how happy she was to finally have friends, but first she wanted to help her friends feel as happy as she was in that moment.

"You two don't have to apologize to me," Hermione replied. "But you do need to say it to Harry."

Alex threw her hands up in frustration and began to pace back and forth in front of her bed.

"How are we supposed to do that, Hermione? We've been so awful to him the past few months. Would an apology even be enough at this point?"

"It's a start, Alex," Hermione explained patiently. "I've always been picked on growing up, and even a single apology would have made up for some of the torment I was forced to endure. Besides, from everything you've told me about Harry, it looks like he wants to be your friends. I'm sure he would be willing to at least give it a try."

Daphne thought about her roommate's advice, and she knew it was the right thing to do. "You're right, Hermione. Tomorrow Alex and I will apologize to Harry and if he forgives us, hopefully we can all try to be friends."

Alex winced at the idea, but she knew it was the right thing to do. Reluctantly she nodded her head in agreement and said, "Yeah. I'll apologize tomorrow with you, Daphne. I guess I should send a letter home and do the same for my parents too."

"Why do you need to apologize to your parents?," Hermione asked.

Alex grimaced and replied, "They've been telling me the same thing for the past month, and I've just ignored them. It's funny how much sense it made when you said it."

Hermione grinned and then then tilted her head back and looked down her nose arrogantly like she'd seen Draco do in the train, and said, "Of course it made sense when I said it, Alex. I'm brilliant."

Alex and Daphne looked at each other in surprise and then started giggling at their new friend's attempt to be arrogant. Within a moment Hermione joined them and the trio soon felt their sides ache from the continuous laughter.

By the time the girls managed to finally contain their mirth, something Hermione said earlier seemed to register in Alex's mind.

"Hey Hermione, what did you mean about being picked on growing up?"

Hermione turned away from the questioning looks she received from both girls. Her torment at the hands of her peers was simultaneously the source of her ultimate shame and her greatest strength. She didn't want to talk about that part of her past, but after all the personal things her friends had shared with her, she thought it would be fair to do the same.

"Even as a child I was considered to be extremely intelligent. When I first started school one of my teachers noticed my intelligence and he urged my parents to have my I.Q. tested. After the results came out, everyone was a little surprised by how well I had done. The teachers thought I was capable of skipping four grades easily, but due to my age my parents only wanted me to move up by two levels. Unfortunately the kids in my class were threatened by my desire to learn, and I was effectively ostracized by everyone in my year. The meaner kids would often make fun of me and call me ugly, or make fun of my hair and my front teeth. That trend only continued through every year, so I never had any friends growing up. The only people that talked to me were my teachers and my parents."

Alex couldn't believe how poorly Hermione was treated all these years. Her own friendships might not have ended the way she wanted them to, but at least she had friends growing up. When she saw the tears begin to form in her brunette friend's eyes, Alex rushed to her side and wrapped her hands around the smaller girl.

"Well, that changes tonight, Hermione," she stated as a fact. "Starting tonight you can count yourself as having two friends."

Hermione looked into Alex's bluish grey eyes, and saw that the girl meant every word that she said. She was so touched by the gesture, her tears of pain became tears of joy and she replied, "Thank you, Alex. I would love to be your friend too."

Daphne watched the two girls have a bonding moment, as she tried to imagine how difficult her new friend's life had been. Even though Tracy had eventually betrayed her, at least she could say she had a few good years of friendship with the girl. The thought of growing up all alone sent shivers down her spine, and she couldn't help herself from feeling sad on her friend's behalf.

By the time Hermione finished crying, Daphne knew exactly what she could do to make her friend feel better. Since her tormentors used her appearance to insult her, it would be easy to fix the problem. As a pureblood girl, she'd been raised how to look and act proper at all times and she intended to impart these skills to her new roommate.

Besides, the brunette really was a pretty girl. The only distinguishing features that took away from her beauty, were her bushy hair and enlarged front teeth. Luckily both were easily rectified in the magical world.

Once her decision was made, Daphne grabbed a large cream colored bottle from her trunk and handed it to Hermione. When she saw the surprised look on her new friend's face, she explained, "The stupid kids who made fun of you were wrong, Hermione. You really are a pretty girl. Only two things take away from your natural beauty...your hair and your front teeth. That bottle is a magically created shampoo that will help tame your hair. I guarantee you will see results starting tomorrow morning. As for your enlarged front teeth, Madam Pomfrey can fix them in a minute. All we have to do is stop by her office before breakfast tomorrow."

Hermione was stunned by Daphne's gift and she couldn't wait to try it out. Her parents had spent hundreds of pounds trying differents shampoos to help tame her hair, but nothing ever seemed to work.

Secretly she always dreamed of having straight silky hair like Daphne, and now she prayed her friend was right about the results. The only problem she could see with the plan, was with fixing her teeth. She'd begged for years to both of her parents to take care of it, but as dentists they told her she was still too young for the procedure. Now that she had a chance to fix them right away, she hesitated to take it because of them.

"I'm not sure my parents will let me get my teeth fixed," she replied sadly.

"Why not?," Alex asked, outraged at the thought.

"My parents are both dentists, and they told me I'm too young to get my teeth fixed."

Thanks to the time she spent in the Muggle world with her aunt Lily, Alex was aware of what a dentist was and she knew how different healing was in their world.

"Your parents are muggle healers, Hermione, and in their world you might be too young. But the magical world is different. The spell that will fix your teeth is simple, and it will only take Madam Pomfrey a minute to do it. I'm sure your parents wouldn't say no if they knew how easy the procedure was."

"Do you think I should ask them first?"

Alex grinned and shook her head. "Nah. Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. You can just let them know when you go home for Yule break."

With their decision now made, the girls returned to their task of unpacking their things. This time the silence that followed was comfortable for all of them, since each was sure they found a best friend in the others.

* * *

Harry woke up at 530 with a smile on his face. Last night had gone better than he expected, and he couldn't wait to try out his Shadow powers again. After Professor McGonagall had shown him to his new suite, he was suitably impressed with the two bedroom, one bath and additional living room he had all to himself.

The mini apartment was perfect for his needs at school, and once the professor left, he immediately went into his trunk and tried to use the advice Death gave him on his powers. It took him another hour to figure it out, but when he was done, he was able to Shadow walk directly to the portrait next to the Room of Requirements on the seventh floor. Since he was already there, Harry took the time to retrieve Ravenclaw's diadem from the storage room before calling it a night.

Now that he was up, Harry rolled out of bed and quickly made his way to the bathroom. Once he was done with his morning ablutions, he put on his workout clothes and walked out of his room. Thanks to his prior knowledge of the castle, it only took him a few minutes to reach the grounds outside.

As soon as he reached the Black Lake Harry went through his standard stretching routine for ten minutes and then began to run. The exercise schedule he started two months ago had already done wonders for his stamina and he was pleasantly surprised that he was able to complete four laps around the enormous lake. Once his cardio was finished, Harry made his way back to his room and immediately went to the gym in his trunk.

His trunk gym consisted of two treadmills, a bench, a rowing machine, a squat machine, a pullup bar and enough free weights to build the muscles he wanted. Unlike some athletes, Harry had no desire to look like a bodybuilder. Instead he concentrated on doing heavy reps of light weights, so he could tone his body but still increase his physical strength.

After an hour of cycling through several exercises designed to workout his chest and biceps, Harry finally decided he was done for the day. He conjured a towel to wipe away the sweat that lathered his body, and then used the bathroom in his trunk to shower and get ready for breakfast.

By the time Harry reached the Great Hall, it was ten minutes till 8, and his stomach growled at the various smells emanating from the breakfast platters sitting on the tables. As he made his way towards the Gryffindor table, out of the corner of his eye he spotted the Ravenclaw trio he ignored yesterday. He had every intention of doing the same thing today, but when he saw the three girls staring at him, he knew he wouldn't be able to avoid them again...at least not without coming off as incredibly rude.

As he approached their table, Harry was stunned by the new look Hermione was sporting. Her once bushy hair was perfectly straight and now it had a bounce that was similar to Daphne's. By the way she smiled widely he could clearly see that her front teeth had been fixed. Over all he was impressed by the changes that she made, as they only enhanced the natural beauty she already possessed.

Once he reached his destination, Harry summoned the courage his House was known for, and flashed the three Ravenclaws his famous Potter smile. "Good morning ladies," he said politely. "I hope you guys settled in okay last night?"

"Good morning, Harry," the girls replied in unison.

Harry was slightly startled by the greeting. Not only did all three girls call him by his name, but they all also had smiles on their faces. After weeks of insults and glares from two of the trio, the friendly demeanor suddenly made him wary of the three of them.

Before he could imagine the various ways the girls could make his life hell, Harry saw Alex and Daphne stand up in front of him. He was about to ask what they were doing, since they still had full plates of their breakfast on the table, but he stopped when he heard Alex say, "Daphne and I wanted to apologize to you, Harry. We've been horrible to you the past few weeks, and you didn't deserve it."

After hearing that, Harry felt like he was hit by a _Stupify_ and it took him a moment to reply.

"Thanks, Alex, but you guys don't have to apologize. I know the two of you were just stressed out by the contracts. To be honest, if I was in your shoes I would probably have felt the same way."

Daphne was watching Harry carefully the entire time, and as she stared into his green eyes, when she heard his response it was clear that he meant every word he said. It was galling to see how nice he was being, even after everything they did to him. No purebloods she previously dealt with were this forgiving. At the very least she expected him to have a smug smile for his victory.

"Be that as it may, Harry," Daphne spoke on behalf of her and Alex. "We crossed the line the other day by the things we said to you at the party. It was wrong, and no matter how angry or frustrated we were with the Marriage contracts, we shouldn't have said them. Despite how we treated you, you went out of your way to help us with Draco and his goons and I just wanted to thank you for your help."

Harry felt his face flush at the praise he just received. "In that case, I accept your apology and I once again apologize for the situation I've put the two of you in. I swear I never knew about the contracts before taking up my Lordships."

Hermione rolled her eyes at all the apologies that were going around. As an outside observer she found the entire situation quite humorous, but she was glad that her friends could now get to know the boy they were supposed to marry.

"How was your night, Harry?," Hermione asked, trying to fill the silence that suddenly crept up. "Do you like your new dorm?"

Harry smiled smugly and replied, "My night was great, Hermione. Thanks for asking. But I'm not in the dorms. I have my own suite."

"What?!," Alex exclaimed loudly. "Why do you get a suite?"

"Hogwarts rules," he answered the slightly peeved girl in front of him. "In the event a student takes up his/her Head of House ring, they may request a Lords suite for the duration of their stay at school. I found out about it from Neville yesterday, and asked McGonagall for one. She was reluctant at first, but since the Boy-Who-Lived was getting one, she couldn't really say no."

Harry could tell the trio was stunned by the news, and not wanting to ruin the start to his perfect day, he quickly added, "I actually have an extra bedroom, so if you guys wanted, I could have it converted into a study room for all of us. At the very least, it will give us another place to study if the library gets full."

Daphne was thrilled by the offer. School was very important to her, and despite the dorm room they had in Ravenclaw, it wouldn't hurt to have another place to fall back on. From the stories she heard from her parents, the library was great for doing research, but it wasn't always the best place to get your work done. Too many people around to bother you with small talk.

Besides, the offer showed her how much Harry cared, and that he was willing to share what he had with her and Alex. As far as normal pureblood boys went, this was definitely not something she was expecting.

"Thank you, Harry," she replied with a smile. "That was really sweet of you. If you can pull it off, I'm sure we can find the time to study there on occasion."

Before he could answer, his stomach growled in displeasure. Sensing he needed to get some food in him soon, Harry assured the girls he would get the work done as soon as possible and then wished them all luck in their upcoming classes.

When he finally reached the Gryffindor table, Harry saw Neville already eating, and took a seat across from his god brother.

"Morning, Nev. You sleep well last night?"

"Morning, mate," Neville answered in between bites of his scrambled eggs. "Yeah, I slept great. When I got here Seamus was complaining about how hard it was to sleep through Ron's snoring, so I'm actually kind of glad my gran talked me into the private room. Where were you this morning, Harry? I knocked on your door, but it didn't seem like you were there."

"I probably wasn't mate," Harry replied. "I woke at 530 to get in my morning workout before classes start."

"Why in Merlin's name would you want to workout, mate? Especially at that hour."

Harry grinned at the question, and knew it was the standard drivel magicals passed on to their kids. Most purebloods and half-bloods grew up believing exercise was just for muggles.

"It's good for you, Nev," Harry explained. "I don't workout because it makes me look good, though that is an added bonus. I workout so my body is stronger and has more stamina. That in turn helps with casting my magic."

Neville was still skeptical about the whole thing, but still asked, "Are you sure about that, Harry?"

"I'm positive, mate. I have a book by Mungo Bordlam that proves exercise helps to improve your Magical reserves and casting ability. The better in shape your body is, the longer you will be able to cast spells. One day that will be huge if I'm in a duel. Imagine if you had the magical power and knowledge of Merlin, but your body was fat and grossly out of shape. If you fought a semi competent dueler, he'd be able to run circles around you, while you would tire out after a few minutes. Now all the magic and knowledge of Merlin is defeated by a guy who beat you by just lasting longer."

Neville thought about what his god brother just said, and it did kind of make sense to him. His gran always told him that Voldemort wasn't dead and she firmly believed he would come back some day. It's the main reason she hired so many private tutors to start his Magical education earlier than other kids. If working out could help in a duel some day, then he was more than willing to put in the work. When Voldemort eventually returned, Neville knew he would need every advantage he could get.

"Would you mind if I joined you, Harry?"

Harry stopped the fork midway to his mouth and stared at the Boy-Who-Lived. Just by asking that question this Neville showed once again how much more driven he was than the one from his old world. When he saw the hopeful look in his god brother's eyes, and the determined set of his jaw, Harry knew he was serious about the request and was more than happy to help him out.

"Sure, Nev," he answered happily. "As long as you're willing to wake up early, I have no problems training you."

"I'm more than willing," Nev replied hesitantly, now worried about how he would get up that early. "But if it's alright with you, I might need some help getting up for the first few days."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Professor McGonagall, and both boys greeted her politely. When she handed them their schedules, Harry groaned at the site of his first class. Dealing with Snape on the first day of school was not something he was looking forward to, but at least this time he would be ready for anything the greasy bat could throw at him.

**Gryffindor: First Year Schedule-Harry James Potter-Peverell-Daniels**

**Monday:**

9:00-10:30: Double Potions-Dungeons(Sly)

10:45-11:30: Herbology-Greenhouse(Huf)

11:30-2:00: Lunch/Free Block

2:00-2:45: Charms-Classroom 2E(Rav)

3:00-3:45: Transfiguration-Classroom 1B(R av)

**Tuesday:**

9:00-10:30: Double Charms-Classroom 2E(Rav)

10:45-11:30: DADA-Classroom 3C(Sly)

11:45-1:15: Double Herbology-Greenhouse(Huf)

1:15-3:30: Lunch/Free Block

3:30-4:15: Astronomy-Tower(Huf)

**Wednesday:**

9:00-10:30: Double Transfiguration-Classroom 1B(Rav)

10:45-11:30: HoM-Classroom 4F(Huf)

11:30: Free for day

**Thursday:**

9:00-10:30: Double DADA-Classroom 3C(Sly)

10:45-11:40: Potions-Dungeons(Sly)

11:45-1:15: HoM-Classroom 4F(Huf)

**Friday:**

Free for day

7:45-8:30: Astronomy-Tower(Huf)

* * *

Harry took a seat next to Neville on the Gryffindor side of the room, and the pair quickly took out their potions kits and some stationary they would need for notes. They waited patiently while the greasy haired teacher took roll, and Harry was quick to notice the man's eyes narrow at both their names. Knowing what was about to happen to Neville, Harry braced himself to help his god brother in any way that he could.

"You are all here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," Snape spoke loudly to the class. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect the majority of you to truly understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind and ensnaring the senses. If you are not a dunderhead I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stopper death."

After a moment of silence, Snape suddenly yelled out, "Longbottom. What would I get if I added powdered root of Asphodel to an infusion of Wormwood?"

"You would get a powerful sleeping potion called the Draught of the Living Dead, Professor," Neville answered without any hesitation.

Harry could tell that Snape was surprised that Neville knew the answer, and he really couldn't blame the slimy git, because he was right there with them. He always knew Neville to be horrible with potions, but apparently the Boy-Who-Lived version did not share the same weakness.

"Correct, Mr. Longbottom. I guess anyone can get luck once. How about we try again. Where would you look if I told you to find me a Bezoar?"

"In the stomach of a goat, sir," Neville answered in a respectful manner.

"One more than, Mr. Longbottom. What is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?"

"There isn't one, sir," Neville said confidently. "It's the same plant, and I believe it is also know as Aconite in the Muggle world."

Snape was furious that the Gryffindor knew all the answers, and he was about to ask him progressively harder questions, when he noticed the Potter brat begin to smirk. The son of his most hated enemy was finally in his classroom, and he thought it was the perfect time to get some revenge.

"You think something is funny, Mr. Potter? Perhaps you think you can ride on the coattails of the Boy-Who-Lived to pass this class? Just like your father, arrogant and stupid."

Harry heard the snickering coming from several of the Slytherins in the room and he easily ignored them. He didn't want to be at odds with the Potions Master in this world, but he would be damned before he let the bastard say anything bad about his father.

"Not at all, Professor Snape," he replied with the same arrogant drawl that Draco often used. "I don't need Neville to help me pass potions. I mean it's really just like cooking. I doubt it would be that hard."

When Snape turned the same purple as his uncle Vernon used to get, Harry was prepared for the questions he knew were sure to come.

"Tell me, Mr. Potter, what are the key ingredients of the Werewolf potion, Wolfsbane?"

Harry knew it was a 6th year question, but he'd been working with potion for so long, that it was almost insulting to be asked such a simple thing. "That's easy, Professor. The key ingredients of the potion are Moonstones and the hair of a Werewolf."

"What potion could you make with Lacewing flies, Bloomslang skin, and Fluxweed?"

"That would be the Polyjuice Potion, sir," Harry answered confidently.

"What is the common side effect of Pepperup potion?"

"It causes steam to come out of the drinker's ears."

By this point the entire class was shocked by the staring match Harry was having with Snape, and they could tell the Potions Master was about to lose his cool.

"10 points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know it all, and another 10 pts for cheating. You will serve a detention with me tonight and you will tell me how you are doing it."

Harry grinned at the near homicidal teacher and replied, "I will have to respectfully decline the detention, Professor. In a single sentence you accused me of being an insufferable know it all and then a cheater. It's not possible to do both, sir. Since you can't prove I was cheating, I will have to refuse your detention."

"You're just like your father, Potter, arrogant and insufferable. I know you're cheating and when I find out how, I'll have you expelled from the school."

"Thank you for the compliment, Professor," Harry replied with a smirk. "It's always been my dream to be like my father. It's good to know that you think I'm already there. Good luck finding out how I'm cheating, since knowing the answers really doesn't count. I tried to tell you sir. Potions is just like cooking. As long as you know the ingredients and the recipe, any dunderhead could teach it."

At this point Snape completely lost it and screamed, "WHAT THE HELL IS EVERYONE STARING AT? THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE ON THE BOARD. GET TO WORK."

With a flare of his robes the teacher returned to his desk and stared balefully at Harry and his partner. As time passed Snape paid careful attention to the potion Harry and Neville were working on and saw how seamlessly the pair worked together. He would never say it out loud, but he thought Neville was an adequate brewer and Harry a prodigy at the art. It sickened him to think the Potter brat got one over him, and he swore he would find a way to get his revenge.

By the time class was about to be over, Harry and Neville brewed a perfect Boil Cure Potion. They scooped up a small amount to put in two separate vials and labeled the vials properly for grading. Harry decided he would be the one to drop off the samples, so he could make sure to place an unbreakable Charm on each of the vials. From his prior experience with Snape, he knew the man wouldn't hesitate to "accidentally" drop the vials to give them both a failing grade on the potion.

Once he was done packing up his things, Harry followed his god brother out of the class. Unfortunately he was so caught up in congratulating himself for putting Snape in his place, Harry never noticed the looks of awe the other Gryffindors were sending his and Neville's way.

"What was all that about, Harry?," Neville asked, as the pair made their way to Herbology.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and answered, "When I thought I was a squib, I spent a lot of time working on classes that didn't require a wand. I kind of figured out that I'm a bit of a prodigy at Runes and Potions. As for the stuff with Snape, it's mostly because of a problem he and my dad had while they were at school. I had every intention of melting into the background in his class, but when he insulted my dad I wasn't about to hold back."

The pair walked quietly for a little bit longer, until Harry felt the need to ask, "How'd you get so good at Potions, Nev?"

Neville smiled at his god brother and replied, "My gran couldn't get me a special exemption to get a wand until I was 9, but that didn't stop her from getting me classes on all the wandless subjects before then. I've actually been getting private tuitions in Potions since I was 7. My tutor told me he didn't think I had the flare or passion to become a Master, but he didn't doubt for a second that I was a more than passable brewer."

* * *

As he walked to the Charms class with Neville, Harry was happy that Herbology was done for the day. While he understood its importance for the ingredients it could provide for potions, the class itself was just as boring as he remembered in his old world.

The lunch break that followed the class led to Harry momentarily feeling like he was back in his old world again. Apparently the school was abuzz with the fact that he and Neville had answered all of Snape's questions and that Harry in particular had put the hated Professor in his place. The looks of adoration he received from his fellow Gryffindors was enough for Harry to get up and leave early for his Charms class.

When the pair finally arrived at Classroom 2E, they realized Flitwick hadn't arrived yet. Harry tried the door anyways, and when it turned out to be unlocked he shrugged his shoulders and made his way inside. The Gryffindor duo chose seats at the front of the class and then waited for the others to arrive.

Soon Harry began to feel bored with the wait. When he saw the stack of feathers sitting on Flitwick's desk, he had a brilliant idea. So far Neville had impressed him beyond his wildest expectations, and now he wanted to test his god-brother in Charms.

"Hey, Nev?"

"Yeah, Harry?"

"How do you feel about a friendly competition?"

Neville grinned at the question and realized what his god brother was thinking about. Normally he would have refused to compete against another first year, since he had an unfair advantage with his prior tuitions. But something told him Harry was just as knowledgable as he was and he wanted to see which of them was better.

"I'm open to it, mate. What do you have in mind?"

Harry grinned at his god brother and pointed to the large stack of feathers on the desk. "Let's see who has got more control with the levitation spell."

Once Neville agreed, both boys took out their wands and soon they had a dozen feathers each up in the air. The sheer self control his god-brother showed to pull off such a feat, made Harry proud of all the work his fellow Gryffindor must have put into learning magic the right way. If he was truly being honest with himself, Harry was more than ready to admit that Neville was head and shoulders better than him at being the Boy-Who-Lived.

When he saw Neville begin to tire, Harry knew the boy couldn't hold up the feathers for too much longer. He knew it was unfair to do it, because Neville was still growing into his power, but he couldn't resist moving his feathers deftly in a figure eight around the bunch his friend already had in the air.

The two boys were so enthralled by their competition, they didn't realize they had an audience, until they heard the sound of clapping coming from behind them. As soon as the pair turned around, they saw Professor Flitwick and over half of the class staring at the two of them in awe.

As soon as he saw the way the students were all looking at him and Neville, Harry wanted to bang his head against his desk in frustration. He never expected for his small test for Neville to be seen by anyone else and now he regretted challenging his god brother to the game. The last thing he needed was to become the center of attention again, and so far today he had failed miserably at that plan.

"Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Potter," the tiny Charms Professor called out excitedly. "That was absolutely fantastic use of the levitation spell. The both of you showed tremendous skill in keeping multiple objects a float at the same time. 20 points each to Gryffindor for displaying such skill. And another 10 points to Mr. Potter for the maneuver he made at the end."

Harry and Neville bowed their heads respectfully at the praise, and prayed the teacher would stop making them the center of attention. Flitwick realized how uncomfortable the pair was from the ogling they received from the rest of class, and he decided it was time to get to work.

The former dueling Champion climbed on top of the books behind his podium, and made the same speech Harry heard the first time he was in Charms class. Unfortunately the first class was little more than a Q&A session, and Harry knew they wouldn't start spell work for at least another week. Flitwick liked to hammer in theory before he let his students do any spells. By the time class finally came to an end, the Gryffindor duo was bored out of their mind.

* * *

As soon as Harry walked into the Transfiguration classroom, he immediately saw McGonagall sitting in her cat form on the desk. While he loved the subject, and at times the teacher, at this point in his life there really wasn't anything he could learn from the classes at Hogwarts and he couldn't wait to finish his final class of the day. The only reason he was even there was to help Neville through the yearly life threatening scenarios that Dumbledore had in store for him.

This time Harry and Neville chose to take their seats at the back of the class. The pair agreed they had already received enough attention throughout the day, and now they were more than willing to blend into the background in this class.

When the last of the students finally took their seats, the cat form of McGonagall leapt off the desk and instantly turned into the stern Transfiguration teacher. By the gasps he heard from Neville and the other students, Harry was amused by their reactions to an Animagus. He silently wondered how they would act if he turned into his cat form.

McGonagall stared at the gathered students, her intimidating stare enough to cow the most avid of rule breakers. Once she was certain she had everyone's attention, she began to same speech she reserved for all of her first years.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn during your time at Hogwarts," she announced to the class. "Anyone caught messing around in my class will leave, and not come back. Be careful...you have all been warned."

With that she waved her wand wordlessly at her desk and turned it into a pig, before changing it back to her desk. Once her demonstration was complete McGonagall spent the next twenty minutes lecturing the class on the spell they were going to practice today. It was all Harry could do just to stay awake and not lose any points to the hard nosed teacher. Despite the fact that he could achieve his own Mastery in the subject, Harry wasn't about to upset the Scottish woman as long as he could help it.

By the time McGonagall passed the matches out to the entire class, Harry had already cast the _Tempus_ spell a dozen times in his boredom. Apparently Neville shared his sentiments about the class, and he smiled when he saw his god-brother cast a _Tempus_ of his own.

"No worries, Nev," Harry whispered to his partner. "We only have fifteen minutes of class left."

Neville arched his eyebrow at his fellow Gryffindor and with the correct wand motion he said the incantation _Compositus Abeo_, and the match turned into a perfect needle. "That's fifteen minutes more than I want to be here," he whispered back.

Harry shook his head at his friend's ability and took a moment to wonder if he would have been as skilled with Sirius raising him in the magical world. When he finally pulled himself away from his musings, Harry saw the bored look on his friend's face and decided he would try to make the final minutes of class enjoyable.

With Neville looking on, he turned his match into a needle, and added Gryffindor along it's edge.

Neville cocked his eyebrow at the accomplishment and countered by adding a Gryffindor to the needle's edge as well as turning the whole thing red. Within seconds the competitive juices began flowing through the two boys and they took turns trying to one up the other.

Unfortunately for the two of them, McGonagall had been watching the entire display in her cast form, and when she suddenly shifted right in front of them, they both slid their chairs back in surprise.

"Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Potter, that was an outstanding display of transfiguration. 10 points each to Gryffindor for successfully completing the task that was assigned, and another 10 each for the additions you each made to the needle. From now on I expect this level of work from the both of you."

When McGonagall turned around to head back to her desk, the two boys once again found themselves being stared at by their fellow classmates. Normally that would have been enough for Harry to curse himself senseless, but the looks he received from the Ravenclaw trio made him want to find a dark hole and hide inside of it.

The way the three girls were appraising him, he could tell they would have a lot of questions to ask him. It was one thing to explain his theoretical knowledge with his Eidetic Memory, it was another to explain how good he was at the practical application. By the way Alex, Daphne, and Hermione were staring at him, he wondered how he was going to explain why he was so good at magic.


	11. Making the Team & Faculty Meeting

**Chapter 11: Making The Team and The Faculty Meeting**

The rest of the week flew by without any incident, and the Gryffindor duo couldn't have been happier by the lack of attention the received from everyone. In class Neville and Harry continued to outshine the rest of their fellow first years, but after a week of studying with the boys in Harry's suite, the Ravenclaw trio was slowly closing the gap.

When Friday finally arrived, Harry couldn't wait until the flying lessons started in the afternoon. It was only a few days since he last flew with his dad at Potter Manor, but Harry already missed the freedom of being in the air. Without Madam Hooch's approval students were not allowed to access the school brooms in the shed, and since Harry couldn't have a broom as a first year, he needed this class to get back in the air.

Harry's excitement over flying was suddenly put on hold, when he saw a large grey owl bearing the Gringotts seal glide down to the table. "Hey girl," he greeted the bird out loud. "You have a letter for me?"

The owl didn't seem to have any problems understanding him, because she stuck out her leg and allowed him to take the letter. Harry spent a few minutes petting the bird and allowing it to drink from his pumpkin juice, before turning his attention to the letter he received.

_Dear Lord Peverell-Daniels,_

_We have found six individuals who are ready to proceed with the first phase of the testing. As per your instructions they have all signed the magically binding contract you requested and the money they are to receive for participating in this trial has already been deposited into their accounts. _

_The potion has been brewed exactly to your specifications, and our healers are ready to monitor the vitals for the test subjects during the full moon later this month. Should this discovery turn out as you anticipated, I have already paid the records department to register this Potion under Marauder's Inc. through the ICW and several other countries. As per your request, Britain will not be informed of the findings._

_I have also spoken to Lord Ragnok in regards to the other business venture you inquired about, and he is most intrigued by the idea. He would like to meet with you in person to discuss the details, but he knows you are indisposed at the time. We here at Gringotts realize that you have just begun your education at Hogwarts, so Lord Ragnok would like to schedule this meeting over the summer. If this acceptable to you, or if you would like to schedule an earlier meeting, please inform me straight away._

_In the mean time I have found several properties that meet the requirements you gave to me. Should any of these interest you, I can immediately begin the process of purchasing the property on your behalf. The muggle investments you asked us to make have already been done, and we picked up as many shares as we could in each of the companies you indicated. You now own 22% of Apple, 14% of Microsoft, 30% of Samsung, 9% of Chevron, 18% of Sony and 11% of Disney. Your full business report will be available to you on the last day of the month._

_Finally, I have found a Goblin willing to teach the House Elves you purchased how to extract the gold from your mines. He charges slightly more than other Goblins who offer the same service, but Master Axegrip is the best at what he does. I highly recommend you choose him to do the training._

**_May you vaults forever overflow with gold,_**

**_Junior Account Manager Ripclaw_**

**_Account #3: Harry James Potter_**

**_Account #6: Most Ancient and Noble House of Peverell_**

**_Account #7: Most Ancient and Noble House of Daniels_**

Harry turned his attention back to his lunch, until he saw Neville walk through the doors of the Great Hall. His god brother was once again surrounded by Ron, Seamus, and Dean, and Harry winced at the headache he knew Neville was probably having at the moment. Unfortunately the Gryffindor first years decided they were going to be the Boy-Who-Lived's best friends, and Neville was too polite to tell them he wasn't interested. Several time this week he already had to delay his god brother's stalkers, so Neville could have a chance for some peace and quiet in his room

.When the group finally made it to the Gryffindor table, Harry grinned at the horrified expression on his god brother's face and said, "What are you lads up to, Nev? Trying to kill some time until flying lessons start this afternoon?"

Ron glowered at the Potter boy, somehow knowing he was about to take Neville away from the group. All week long he had been trying to become friends with the Boy-Who-Lived, but Harry freaking Potter managed to thwart him every time. It almost seemed like the two of them were attached at the hip, and if Ron didn't make some headway soon, he knew Dumbledore wouldn't hesitate to stop paying him to spy on Neville.

What's worse is that he couldn't even say Potter was a poor choice for company. The arrogant prat was top of the class in their year, rich, a Lord of two Ancient and Noble Houses, and already shared a god brother relationship with Neville. It just wasn't fair. Stupid Potter already had everything he could want. The Boy-Who-Lived was supposed to be his friend. His ticket to a life of wealth and comfort. He was tired of living off his brother's hand me downs, and Dumbledore's offer gave him a chance at money from two different sources. All he needed to do was convince Neville to be his best friend. Then he could get his "best mate" to pay for everything, and hold on to the money he earned from Dumbledore.

Before Neville could answer the question, Ron sneered at Harry and said, "We're actually going to head up to the common room and play some chess with Neville. Don't you have some books or something to read?"

Harry was amused by the obvious hostility he could hear from the redhead's tone.

"Now, now, now, Ronald," he replied with a smug smile. "It's much too nice a day to be cooped up in the Gryffindor common room. I think it's the perfect time to get a nice run in before flying lessons. What do you say boys...want to go for a jog around the Lake? Get that heart pumping and the blood flowing. I guarantee you'll feel more awake when you're done."

Since they already did their cardio in the morning, Neville immediately knew his god brother was giving him a chance to get away from the other Gryffindors. He played along and said, "That sounds like a great idea, Harry. I could do with some exercise, since we've been stuck in this castle all week long."

Ron winced at the idea of running around for fun, and by the looks on Seamus and Dean's faces, he knew they weren't thrilled by the suggestion either. As much as he wanted to spend time with the Boy-Who-Lived, Ron wasn't about to run around the Lake to do it. When he realized Potter had won this round, Ron decided he would just have to try harder during dinner.

"No thanks, Potter," he replied with a grimace. "Don't really fancy running around for no reason."

Once Seamus and Dean voiced the same sentiments, Neville happily watched the three of them leave the Great Hall. "Thanks a lot, Harry. You're a lifesaver. So what do you really want to do today?"

When he saw his god brother cock his left eyebrow and stare at him silently, Neville was instantly worried he would really want to work out again. "You weren't serious about the run, right mate?"

Harry let Neville stew a minute longer before he grinned and replied, "Nah. Don't worry, Nev. I'm not crazy enough to make you workout again today. I heard Wood scheduled a practice before our flying lessons, so I figure we can go and see what kind of team we'll have for this season."

As an avid fan of Quidditch, Neville was more than agreeable to the idea, and the two boys quickly made their way to the pitch. When they finally arrived the pair was surprised to see Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson were the only ones from the team that were present.

As the two boys made their way to the Gryffindor starting Chasers, Harry felt a rush of emotion at the thought of their death's in his old world. Both girls had died at the Battle of Hogwarts, while successfully defending the younger kids from the Death Eaters that managed to make it in the Castle. The girls fought ferociously with fellow Chaser Katie Bell by their side, and thanks to their efforts, not a single kid from the lower years was harmed that day.

The pain Harry felt at seeing the two girls was soon washed away by the realization that they were both alive in the here and now. As long as Harry did things the right way in this world, there wasn't any reason for the pair to be alive for a very long time.

Harry's reverie was broken when he heard Angelina jokingly call out, "Well look it here, Alicia, it seems we're about to meet the Golden Lions of Gryffindor."

Neville and Harry looked at each other in surprise and mouthed the title silently to each other. Turning back to face the girls, Harry asked, "I'm sorry ladies, but the Golden Lions of Gryffindor? Why would you call us that?"

Angelina looked at the two first years and realized they really didn't have a clue about the nickname the rest of the House had given to them. Everyone was thrilled by the points they were bringing in from their classes, and after the manner in which they handled Snape, the pair was already famous throughout the lower years. When she thought about it, it made sense they weren't aware of the name, since both boys had their own quarters and so far only spent a limited amount of time in the Gryffindor common room.

"That's what everyone is calling you two," Angelina explained.

Harry and Neville blushed when they heard about the nickname, and the pair couldn't understand why their House mates would use it.

"Why in Merlin's name would anyone call us that?," Neville asked the amused girls.

"Come now, Mr. Boy-Who-Lived," Alicia joked with the first year. "Not only are the two of you at the top of your year, the pair of you have so far earned the most points in the House this year, and you're both the only first years to go toe to toe with Snape and not just come out alive, but you actually beat the slimy git. Whether you like it or not, you got most of the lower years worshipping you as minor deities."

The Gryffindor Chasers laughed at the simultaneous groans that erupted from the two first years. The two girls were definitely amused by their antics, and slightly pleased that the boys didn't let the praise go to their heads. From their own time at Hogwarts, the Chasers saw few people who got to be in the limelight and didn't get a big head from all of the attention.

Deciding the boys had been teased enough, Angelina asked, "So what can we do for the two of you today?"

"I heard Wood was holding a practice before the first year flying lessons, and we wanted to check out how the team looked," Harry replied. "But it seems you're down several players. Where is everyone?"

"The Weasley twins are serving detention with Flitwick right now, but they should be out soon," Alicia answered. "Wood's late cause he's going over the tryout schedule with McGonagall. We're going to need a Seeker and a Chaser this year, so he's kind of freaking out right now."

Harry nodded his head in understanding. From his own memories of Wood, he knew the Captain liked to book the Pitch for tryouts before the other Houses got a chance. He wasn't sure about the reason behind it, but he did know it was important to the Keeper. What surprised him was the team's need for another Chaser. That spot was supposed to go to Katie Bell. He hadn't seen the second year girl this week, but he assumed it was because he hadn't spent much time in the Gryffindor common room.

"That's got to be hard for Wood," Harry replied. "But I thought I heard someone say you already had three Chasers."

Alicia grimaced slightly before answering, "We did, but things didn't work out as planned. Last year we trained this girl named Katie Bell for the spot, but over the summer we learned she wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts. Her dad got offered a promotion at work, but their family had to move to the States for him to get it."

Harry was stunned to hear the news. He knew this world would have its own changes, but a part of him was sad he wouldn't be able to see Katie Bell again. Not only was she an outstanding Quidditch player, but after the Weasley twins, he was probably the closest to her on the team.

As she watched the two first years in front of her, Angelina suddenly had an idea. They still had plenty of time to kill before the rest of the team arrived, and she thought it would be fun to give the boys some early practice at flying.

"If you two aren't doing anything right now, how about we play a quick game until everyone else arrives? The boys left their kits here, so you have three brooms to choose from. I'm sure they won't mind you using them for a friendly game."

Harry was thrilled by the offer, but he wasn't sure if Neville would be as interested. Old Neville was afraid of flying, and he didn't know if the new one shared that fear. He was just about to ask his god brother if he wanted to play, but he stopped as soon as he saw the gleam in the brunette boy's hazel eyes. He'd seen that gleam several times this week, and he knew his god brother was already frothing at the mouth to play.

Curious about how good Neville was at Quidditch, Harry leaned towards him and whispered, "Are you any good, Nev? We don't have to play if you don't want to."

Neville brushed off his friend's concern and quickly replied, "I spent most of my time alone at the Manor, Harry. Whenever I got some free time to myself, I usually spent it flying on our private Pitch. I can hold my own in the air."

Once he received confirmation from his fellow Gryffindor, Harry couldn't wait to play. "Yeah, we'd love to play two on two against you girls."

Within a minute the two boys kitted themselves out with the Weasley twins' gear, grabbed their brooms and raced into the air to meet their opponents. As the taller of the male pair, Harry chose to defend against Angelina, leaving Neville to guard Alicia.

No sooner had the boys taken their positions, the female Gryffindors went on the attack. Harry marked Angelina closely and when he saw she was about to pass, he swooped in and intercepted the Quaffle. Without missing a beat he twirled around on his broom and hurled a pass to an open Neville.

If he wasn't one of the players in the game, Harry would have been cheering his god brother for the move he just completed. Rather than waste time trying to catch the pass he'd just thrown, Neville pulled off a Professional move called the Finbourgh Flick, and used his broomstick to hit the Quaffle into the goalpost. The two boys grinned smugly at the sight of the stunned looks that suddenly appeared on the faces of the two Chasers, and quickly moved back into position for the next round.

Once the girls got over their surprise at the play, Angelina and Alicia glared furiously at each other. They silently held a conversation through their eyes, and decided it was time for them to get more aggressive. Using a move called the Porskoff Ploy the two girls attacked the goal at the same time. Angelina took possession of the Quaffle and flew high, while Alicia moved below her and mirrored her movements. They practiced this move for hours over the summer and it took exact precision to pull off.

Just as Harry moved in to intercept her, Angelina faked a shot at the goal and released the Quaffle directly below her. The move temporarily froze both Neville and Harry, but it gave Alicia enough time to catch the Quaffle and fire a shot through the goalpost. This time it was the girls' turn to celebrate, and they smiled when the saw the appreciative looks appear on the faces of their opponents.

For the next thirty minutes the two sides played tough nosed Quidditch and it was obvious that neither side was holding back anymore. The boys were obviously both better fliers than the girls, but the female Gryffs hung around with their experience and their superior ability to play with one another. By the time the game was slowly coming to a close, Alicia and Angelina scored 80 points with their chemistry and through plays they perfected during hours and hours of practice with their teammates. Meanwhile Neville and Harry played with reckless abandon and the skilled duo racked up a 110 points off numerous stunts, tricks and made up plays.

It was at this moment that Alicia fired a pass to Angelina and suddenly she felt the clasp on her bracelet break. In her haste to play the game she had completely forgotten to take off her grandmother's bracelet, and now she watched as it plummeted towards the Earth. She was just about to race down to pick it up, when she saw Harry's broom shoot out like an arrow after it.

As soon as Harry saw the sunlight reflect off the surface of the bracelet, his eyes zeroed in on the target, and his broom shot out in pursuit of the falling object. The wind whipped across his face as he hurtled frantically towards the ground, all the while ignoring the screams of protest he heard from the girls behind him.

When he saw the ground rapidly approaching in front of him, Harry reached out his hand and felt his fingers wrap around his chosen target. As soon as his prize was secure in his grasp, he pulled back viciously on the front of his broom, and his feet grazed the grass below him, as he barely managed to avoid hitting the ground.

Harry was just about to raise the fist that held the bracelet up in victory, when he suddenly heard McGonagall scream, "MR. POTTER, what do you think you are doing?"

As soon as he turned around Harry saw the stern Transfiguration teacher glaring at him, and behind her stood the Weasley twins and Oliver, all three with silly grins plastered across their face.

Before he could respond, Angelina and the others joined him on the ground and the female Gryffindor interjected on his behalf. "Alicia and I will take full responsibility for this Professor. We were just playing a safe and friendly game of two on two."

McGonagall had been standing there for the past ten minutes with the other members of her House team, and she knew the game she was just watching could be called many things, but safe wasn't one of them. The sheer skill and daring she saw from the first year boys made her simultaneously want to jump up with joy and give them both detentions for the next seven years. The last maneuver by Harry in particular was enough to shave off several hours of her life.

"I see," she replied sternly to the worried Chaser. "And what exactly was Mr. Potter hoping to accomplish with that dive?"

Harry grinned at the teacher and slowly opened his fist so she could see the bracelet that now rested on his palm. "This broke off of Alicia's wrist, ma'am, and when I saw it I raced after it."

Despite the anger she was feeling at the moment, at the sight of the bracelet in Harry's hand, Minerva McGonagall allowed the briefest of smiles to grace her lips. "It seems, Mr. Wood, that we have found you a new Seeker and a new Chaser."

When the Gryffindor team suddenly erupted into cheers around the two first years, Harry was thrilled to be back on the team and Neville was just thrilled to be on it.

* * *

The day after the first week of school ended, the Headmaster and the various Professors of Hogwarts met together in the now enlarged office of Albus Dumbledore, for their first meeting of the new school year.

"Now that we are all here, it's time to start the First Faculty Meeting of the year," Dumbledore announced to his staff. "I would like to hear each Professor's evaluation of the students under their purview, and then we can discuss any problem areas. We'll start with Professor McGonagall. How are your classes coming along, Minerva? Any problems with your Gryffindors?"

"I only have a slight problem, Albus and Professor Snape should also be made aware of this. In the three Transfiguration classes we've had this week, Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle have failed to bring their wands to two of them. Also, I've had to stop six fights in the hallway between Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley, and on two of those occasions wands have been drawn by both parties. If I catch them one more time this month, I will recommend a one month term of detentions for the both of them."

Albus winced at the thought of the Malfoy heir receiving a month's worth of detentions, because he was sure both his Potions Master and Draco's father would demand leniency for whatever the boy had done. Rather than worry about suffering the wrath of the Scottish woman sitting across from him, Albus just prayed neither one of the boys was caught fighting again for the rest of the month. The last thing he needed was the headache only Lucius Malfoy's visits could give him.

"Very well, Minerva," he replied with a twinkle in his eyes. "Your recommendation has been noted. I think we all hope it doesn't come to anything so severe."

When Severus saw the Deputy Headmistress look in his direction, he bowed his head slightly to his former teacher and said, "I will make sure to remind all of my students to have their wands with them for class, Minerva."

"Thank you, Severus. I appreciate it."

"How about you Filius?," Dumbledore asked the diminutive Professor. "Do you have any students that are causing you any worry?"

"I have several students that I am quite happy with, Albus," Flitwick replied cautiously. "But I only know of one student that I am currently worried about. Unfortunately he's a Lion, so I haven't had too much contact with him."

Albus' eyebrows shot up at the news. His Charms Professor seldom involved himself in interhouse politics, so he always paid attention to any of his warnings or recommendations.

"Who has you concerned, Filius?"

"That would be Mr. Weasley, Albus."

"What has Mr. Weasley done to cause you to worry about him, old friend?," Albus asked, though he was silently cursing himself for telling the boy to befriend Neville. It was obvious the redhead didn't know the meaning of subtlety and it was now coming back to bite him in the arse.

"Several of my students have complained that Mr. Weasley has been stalking Mr. Longbottom all week. Normally I wouldn't pay attention to such rumors, but the other day I saw him waiting outside of Mr. Longbottom's suite and it struck me as being quite odd. I'm not sure how much truth there is behind the rumor, but I thought the faculty should be made aware of the situation."

When he saw several of his staff nod their heads in agreement, Albus once again wished he never talked the youngest Weasley boy into doing his bidding. Unfortunately not only did the boy fail to make friends with the Boy-Who-Lived, his actions were now drawing the wrong type of attention from his faculty. He would just have invite the boy for a chat some time soon, and show him the error of his ways.

"Thank you for drawing this to our attention, Filius. I'm sure he's just wanted to talk to the famous Boy-Who-Lived, but thankfully the teachers are now aware of any potential danger."

Hoping to move the conversation away from Ronald Weasley, Albus turned his attention to his Slytherin Head of House. The Snake pit had caused him headaches for several decades, and with the numerous children of known Death Eaters now present in the House, he needed to be wary of their intentions towards his weapon.

"How about you, Severus? Any problems with your Slytherins?"

"None to report, Headmaster," Snape answered in his silky voice. "We had a few pranks and some heated words, but they have all been dealt with internally."

As he stared into the Potion Master's eyes, Albus' blue orbs lost some of their twinkle. He knew the Snake pit was a dangerous place to live, and that many of the students lived under a web of deceit, betrayal and brute force. Unfortunately despite all of his efforts, he'd been unsuccessful in showing the Snakes the path to the Light. With so many prominent Pureblood families present in the House, he couldn't afford to let them die in another war. The quicker Voldemort was permanently taken care of, the quicker Magical Britain could become the world he envisioned.

"How about you, Pomona? Everything okay with your badgers?"

"Nothing really important to report, Albus," the Herbology Professor replied. "Just a few cases of homesickness, but my older Puffs are banding around those students already. They should be fine in another day or so."

With the mundane topics now taken care of, Albus decided it was time to find out about his prize. Neville Longbottom was the key to his victory over Voldemort, and he needed the boy to be as malleable as possible. He would be the martyr the Light would rally behind Albus to avenge, but first he needed to know how much damage that blasted woman had done to his plans.

Even now it still riled him that he'd read Augusta wrong all those years ago. When he told the broken woman the truth behind the prophecy, he expected her to wallow in the grief over her lost son and allow him to take guardianship over the Boy-Who-Lived. But that cunning bitch had deceived him. Instead of following his suggestion like she should have done, the damn woman asked for a few days to think about it, and then paid the Goblins to place a Fidelus over Longbottom Manor. It took him weeks to finally get in touch with her again and at that point she flat out refused to let him have access to her grandson.

"How about students that have set themselves apart from the others?," Albus asked, barely hiding the interest he had for one student in particular.

Minerva smiled as soon as she heard the question and immediately answered, "Two of my Lions have distinguished themselves quite well this week. Mr. Potter and Mr. Longbottom are significantly ahead of the rest of their peers in my class."

Albus wasn't thrilled by the mention of Neville's name, but he was surprised by the mention of Potter's. As the other boy named in the Prophecy, he had been a great disappointment to Albus. The boy turned out to a squib, and since he was busy dealing with his weapon, he didn't have time to check in on the brat. James and Lily had pestered him quite often to try to help their son, but he refused by his inaction. Months later heated words were exchanged between the three of them and he inadvertently lost two of his staunchest supporters within the Order.

When the damn boy showed up earlier in the week with two Lordships behind him, Albus instantly regretted breaking off ties with the Potters. In the end he didn't worry too much about the loss, since he assumed the boy was barely able to receive his Hogwarts letter. But if what Minerva said was true, then he needed to keep a watchful eye on the boy. Who knows if dark spells were used to give the boy his power, and he couldn't risk a presence like that influencing the Boy-Who-Lived.

At this point Flitwick interjected and said, "I agree with Minerva, Albus. Those two students are quite remarkable."

Albus had to hide his surprise at the mention of the Potter squib being called remarkable and to control his anger when he heard of Neville being described in the same manner. It wouldn't do for his plans to have a weapon that thought for itself, and if things continued as they were he would have to take drastic actions to gain control over the Boy-Who-Lived. For the Greater Good, Neville needed to learn as little as possible while he was here at Hogwarts. That's part of the reason he had gone out of his way to find less than capable teachers to fill the DADA position. A part of him was hoping Minerva was just building up two of her Lions, but that dream was shattered with Filius' agreement.

Now that his curiosity was peaked, Albus found himself asking what the Charms Professor was talking about. "How so, Filius?"

"On the first day of class, I walked in with several students and found Mr. Potter and Mr. Longbottom with a dozen feathers floating in the air around them. And that's a dozen feathers each, Albus. If that wasn't impressive enough, Mr. Potter showed a truly amazing level of skill and concentration when he moved his feathers in a figure eight around Mr. Longbottom's."

When the tiny teacher finished his report, Albus didn't know what to feel. He hated that Neville already received so much training, but he was really worried about the level of power that Harry was demonstrating. The skill and magical ability required to do what Filius was describing, would take someone in their 6th or even 7th year at Hogwarts to accomplish. The fact the deed was done by a first year, made him extremely wary of the boy.

In the most grave voice he could manage, Albus said, "Perhaps we should keep an eye on Mr. Potter. Watch him for signs of any darkness. I personally checked him as a child and at the time he was completely unremarkable. I fear James and Lily may have turned to the Dark Arts to help their child regain his magic. Such things require a heavy sacrifice and leave their mark on all those that were involved."

Minerva rolled her eyes, and quite a few of the teachers snorted at the thought. James and Lily still kept in touch with several of them, and most were informed of what really happened.

"I don't think that will be necessary, Albus," Minerva explained to the headbastard. "I spoke to Lily right after everything happened, and Harry was misdiagnosed this entire time. He was never a squib, he just had a rare medical condition in which his magical core twisted upon itself. Under all standard scans, he would register as a squib. Luckily he found a solution with the help of the Goblins and I myself have seen the book he used to learn the procedure. I assure you there was no spellwork used to fix his problem. It was just an old meditation technique that allowed him access to his core. The only dangerous part of the entire procedure was, if it didn't work Mr. Potter would have lost his life."

Albus was stunned when several of his staff looked towards him and nodded their heads knowingly. Apparently his former students had informed several people, just not him. "Why wouldn't James and Lily tell me about this?," he asked in a fake hurt voice.

"Probably because you never tried to help them, Albus," Flitwick replied gently. "I'm sure you had your reasons, but we all know you had a falling out with the Potters years ago. People don't usually share good news with those they don't get along with."

Knowing it was a lost cause to push his staff in this current direction, Albus forced himself to smile and replied, "I see. It shames me that my failure caused such a rift to develop between the three of us, but alas there was nothing I could do at the time."

The meeting lasted for another ten minutes, before Albus finally decided he heard enough. By the time the other teachers left, only the headmaster and Severus were left in the office.

"We have a big problem, Severus," Albus informed his confidant. "That blasted woman has prepared Neville too well."

"Yes," Severus agreed. "All her moves have been well thought out, Headmaster. Even if something were to happen to her, by allowing Longbottom to claim his Lordship now, she has effectively blocked any chance you might have had to claim his guardianship."

"True, but we still must find a way to control him, my friend."

Severus thought about the statement and he knew the old coot was thinking about using potions to bind the boy's loyalty. Unfortunately that plan was incredibly risky now.

"I would advise against using potions, headmaster. Most Ancient and Noble Head of House rings have several safeguards installed to detect for potions. I've seen the boy wave his hand over every meal, so I'm confident Augusta has prepared him for such an occurrence. If you were caught trying to drug him, the brat and his grandmother won't hesitate to inform the DMLE about your actions."

Albus growled softly at the thought, but he knew his Potions Master was right. If the subtle way wouldn't work, then the heavy handed would have to do. "If the situation becomes dire enough, I will have to bind his loyalty through more direct methods."

"Be careful, Albus," Severus warned. "Even you won't escape the Dementor's kiss if you're caught attacking a Lord of an Ancient and Noble House."

The headmaster waved away the other man's concerns and replied, "I assure you, Severus, such a course would only be done as a last resort."

After a few moments, Albus asked about the second person that was on his mind. "Tell me what you think of Harry Potter, Severus."

"He's as arrogant as his father, but he is talented."

"What do you mean by that?," Albus asked curiously.

"He was paired with Longbottom during my Potions class and I watched the two of them carefully as they made their potion. It's obvious that Longbottom has had prior training before coming here, but at most he's an adequate brewer. The Potter boy is different though. He must get his intellect from Lily, because he's an absolute prodigy at the art. I watched him make several adjustments to the recipe that was provided for the class, and his potion came out perfect. I hate to admit it, but it was probably as good as one of my own."

As much as he trusted the rest of his staff, Albus relied on Severus to tell him everything about a given student. After hearing the man's positive assessment of his worst enemy's offspring, it seemed that the young Mr. Potter could prove to be a valuable piece in the future. With two Lordships at his disposal, and as powerful as he already was, Albus knew he needed to have the boy in his pocket soon.

"Perhaps it's time for me to recruit Mr. Potter. With the Weasley boy having failed to befriend Longbottom, Potter could provide the information we need to control the Boy-Who-Lived."

"And if he doesn't decide to join?," Severus asked expectantly.

Albus smiled at his young friend and replied, "Then accidents happen, Severus. As valuable a piece as he could be to me in the future, I would rather destroy him now then let him corrupt my weapon against Tom."

When he saw the headmaster dismiss him with a wave of his hand, Severus got up and walked out of the office. As he made his way back to his private room in the Dungeons, he truly hoped the Potter brat would decide not to follow Albus. Now that he no longer harbored foolish feelings for his mudblood mother, Severus planned to enjoy killing the boy as well as the rest of his family. All he needed to do was bid his time and he would soon get his revenge against all those who spurned him in the past.


	12. Just Another Frantic Sunday

**Chapter 12: Just Another Frantic Sunday**

Neville walked into the Great Hall for lunch and found the place mostly empty. Since it was a Sunday, he assumed people were sleeping in at the time. He was just about to make his way to the Gryffindor table, when out of the corner of his eye he spotted Hermione sitting by herself. Knowing Harry was having a special lunch with Daphne and Alex, he hoped the brunette Ravenclaw would want to eat with him.

When he finally arrived at her table, he saw his beautiful friend intently reading the Daily Prophet. "Hey, Hermione. Good to see you. Do you mind if I sit down and join you for lunch?"

Hermione jumped at the sound of his voice, and reflexively threw her newspaper up in the air.

Neville was bemused by his friend's actions and reached down to pick up the fallen paper. No sooner did he have it in his hands, did he see what the article was about.

**_Longbottom vs Potter: Who is the King of Hogwarts?_**

_By Daily Prophet Senior Reporter: Rita Skeeter_

_Now that the first week of Hogwarts has come to an end, our sources inside the Castle have told us that the hallways of the prestigious school are once again being graced by the presence of multiple Lords. _

_In a stunning move by both boys, Harry James Potter and Neville Franklin Longbottom claimed their Lordships just before the start of the new school year. On August 2nd, Mr. Potter was removed as the heir apparent to the Potter Lordship and emancipated by his father Lord James Charlus Potter. This in turn allowed the younger Potter to claim the Head of House rings for the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Peverell and Daniels._

_Yes readers, you read it right the first time. The young eleven year old is a full Lord of two Ancient and Noble Houses. How is this possible you ask? We did our research here at the Prophet and what we found was astonishing. Everyone knows about the Potter's connection to the Peverell line, but the big news with the Daniels family comes from none other than Lily Marie Potter. Once thought to be a Muggle born Witch, on August 2nd it was discovered that Lady Potter was in fact the only child of the Daniels Heir and that she was adopted a few weeks after her birth by the Evans family. Since Lady Potter was previously unaware of the adoption, it seems the smartest witch of her generation never knew of her true background._

_That unique twist tells us why Lord Peverell-Daniels was able to claim his Head of House rings, but I'm sure many readers are wondering how it's possible since many in our world believed that the eldest Potter was born a squib. After days of research we here at the Prophet have learned of the grave error that was made with the new Lord. _

_In a shocking turn of events, we discovered that Mr. Potter had a rare medical condition that was misdiagnosed when he was just a toddler. He was never a squib! A few weeks ago he found an accurate diagnosis for his malady, and received his treatment at Gringotts London. Unfortunately the heroic journey the young Mr. Potter has survived, seemed to tarnish the relationship he once shared with his god brother, Neville Longbottom._

_Apparently the Boy-Who-Lived did not appreciate the attention Mr. Potter was receiving and in a fit of jealousy cut off all ties with the Potter family. Many speculate that on August 11th, in an effort to show he was indeed the young Lord Peverell-Daniels' equal, the Boy-Who-Lived took up the Lordship of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom. _

_Now that both boys are finally at Hogwarts, it seems their rivalry will soon become known as the stuff of Legends. From what we at the Prophet have been able to ascertain, the two boys are currently vying for the number one spot in their year. If their ferocious competition wasn't enough academically, both young Lords have somehow managed to take their rivalry on to the Gryffindor Quidditch team. This would be the first time in 212 years that two first years are playing on the team together, and in Mr. Potter's case, the first time in a 100 years that a first year will be playing Seeker._

_What will happen to these two god brothers? Will their relationship ever be fixed or will Hogwarts suffer as the two Lords battle to be its King? We here at the Prophet can't tell you for sure, but we will definitely keep you updated to the best of our abilities._

**_The true story behind the Boy-Who-Lived: pg 3_**

**_Lords Potter and Black take their seats on the Wizengamot: pg 5_**

**_Are Muggle-borns furious at losing Lady Potter as an example of their excellence?: pg 6_**

**_Did the Ministry cover up the Alistair Moody fiasco in London last month?: pg 11_**

As she watched Neville glare hatefully at the newspaper, Hermione felt horrible for allowing him to get his hands on it. She saw the paper when she came down for lunch earlier, and the moment she read the article she was furious with the Skeeter woman for writing such lies. Anyone who spent even a second around Harry and Neville would know the pair were close enough to be brothers. Yes they had a bit of a rivalry between them, but it was all in good fun. Both boys were highly competitive, but at no point did they ever act jealous or angry over the other's success.

"Are you okay, Neville?," Hermione asked her irate friend cautiously. "Please don't get upset over what that Skeeter woman wrote. No one who knows either you or Harry, would ever believe you two dislike each other."

Neville looked up from the annoying article he was reading, and when he saw the look of concern on his brunette friend's face, he immediately flashed her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Hermione. I'm not upset by this trash. Harry already warned me that something like this would happen and he's taken some precautions to make sure it doesn't happen again. Apparently Miss Skeeter has a history of taking the facts she discovers and twisting them to sell a juicy story. If everything works out, we should be reading a retraction in a day or two."

Hermione was thrilled to see that her friend wasn't upset, but now her innate curiosity drove her to find out why. "What kind of precautions did he take?"

Neville grinned smugly at the Ravenclaw sitting across from him, and said, "He bought part of the Daily Prophet."

"HE DID WHAT?!," Hermione asked, her tone laced with a mixture of shock, awe and outrage.

"Shhhh. Relax Hermione. It's no big deal. It's not like he bought the whole thing. The Ministry won't allow that."

Neville could see his friend trying to control her excitement, and before she bombarded him with questions, he decided it would be best for him to give her some added details.

"Sometime in the late 1800's the Ministry decreed that no family could hold a monopoly on any institution that provided the public with news..."

"Not that I don't agree with the idea, but why would they do that?," Hermione asked, as she interrupted him.

Neville just shrugged his shoulders and replied, "To be honest with you, Hermione, I don't really know for sure. I would assume it had something to do with politics. The Ministry usually doesn't make rules that limit what the Purebloods can do, unless somehow they are being affected by it. Anyways, they made it so no family could own more than 10% shares of the newspaper except the Blacks. Since they originally held the majority ownership, it was decided they could have a higher stake than the others."

When he was sure that his Ravenclaw friend wasn't going to interrupt him again, Neville continued, "As of a week ago, the Ministry owned 30% of the Daily Prophet and the rest was dispersed between several families."

By the smug smile on his face, and the twinkle she could see in his hazel eyes, Hermione somehow knew Neville was also one of the owners. "Let me guess, the Longbottoms also own a part of the Prophet?"

"Oh it's much better than that," he replied with a grin. "This time last week the Blacks owned 20% of our illustrious newspaper, with the Potters, the Malfoys, and my family also owning 10% each of the Prophet stock. Unfortunately since Malfoy Sr. and the current Minister are so close, and with the Ministry owning 30% of the Prophet, we were effectively deadlocked if we ever faced a problem that would require a vote. The best both sides could hope for was that the other owners that controlled the final 20 % would vote on their side. Most of the time the Ministry was able to sway the other votes to their cause, so they usually got what they wanted."

Hermione cringed at all the political maneuvering that seemed to be common place in the Magical world, but she still found herself wanting to learn more about it. "So Harry bought 10% of the paper and shifted the power back to you guys?"

Neville laughed and shook his head. "No, Hermione. You're forgetting that Harry is a Lord of not one, but two different Houses. He bought out the remaining 20% and split the ownership between both Houses. The Ministry rule didn't take into account someone who was a Lord of two Houses, so they couldn't legally stop him from buying out the shares. At this point Fudge and Malfoy can protest until they turn blue in the face, but they no longer have any power over the Daily Prophet."

The conversation came to an end, as the two friends returned their attention to the plate full of food that were in front of them. The hours the pair spent studying together in the library or in Harry's suite, made them comfortable enough with one another that the ensuing silence didn't bother them at all.

By the time both of them finished their lunch, Neville felt his boredom begin to rise. Normally he had Harry to keep him occupied, but with his god brother busy for the rest of the day, he really needed to find something to do.

That's when he had a brilliant idea. "Hey, Hermione?"

"Yeah, Neville?"

"Do you have anything planned for the rest of the day?"

"I was going to go to the library and review the Potions essay that's due tomorrow. Why?"

"Why don't you take a break and explore the Castle with me? I promise you'll have some fun."

"You should take your studies more seriously, Neville," Hermione reprimanded her friend. "We should really take this time to review our work."

"Oi, I take my studies very seriously," Neville replied in mock outrage. "Besides, it won't take forever, Hermione. We studied hard all week long and we deserve to have a little time off."

When he saw his friend gently chewing on her lower lip, Neville could tell she was on the verge of saying yes, and he knew the perfect way to nudge her in the right direction.

"Knowledge is power, Hermione," he said in a knowing manner. "If we find alternative routes of getting around the Castle, imagine how you could use them to get to class on time."

As soon as he saw his friend's brown eyes light up at the thought, Neville knew she would agree to go with him.

"Fine. I'll go with you, but only for a little bit. Then the two of us will go to the library to review our essays. Deal?"

"Deal."

The two friends quickly gathered their things and made their way out of the Great Hall. Thanks to the passages he'd already learned from Harry, Neville was able to show Hermione several different routes to get around the Castle. In their search to find a route Neville didn't already know about, the duo found themselves walking down a hallway on the fifth floor.

As they were about to pass by a painting that had a picture of a bearded gnome stuck amongst the weeds, the two friends stopped at the sound of voices coming from the other side the canvas.

"**_I'm telling you, Fred, there's a Cerberus guarding something on the third floor. Lee and I overheard Hagrid mumbling about it in his hut, and if it's true, it has to be the Philosophers stone."_**

**"The two of you are out of your mind, Georgie. Dumbledore might be a little eccentric, but he's not crazy enough to hide something like that in the school. Especially not with a dangerous animal like a Cerberus guarding it. For Merlin's sake boys, we're in a school full of children."**

**"Exactly what I'm trying to tell you, brother of mine. Oi, Lee, quit playing with that stupid parchment you nicked from Finch and tell my brother what you heard."**

**"It's not stupid, George. I just know it has to be something good. Finch wouldn't have bothered to lock it up, if it was just a blank piece of parchment."**

**"Well, give it to us then, Lee old boy. You've had that damn thing for two years now, and you still haven't gotten it to do anything but insult you on a regular basis."**

**"No thanks, mate. I really want to figure this out myself. I know it needs a password, and I intend to find out what it is."**

The two friends were concentrating so hard to eavesdrop on the conversation, they didn't realize the voices were getting closer to their position. Without any warning the painting opened up, and the pair suddenly found themselves lying on the ground, as the Weasley twins walked out and collided into them.

"Look what we have here, George. It seems ickle Neville is spending the day with his girlfriend."

"Too right, my wise brother, but I wonder what the two of them are doing right here."

Hermione looked up to see the three Gryffindors grinning down at them and she glared back furiously. "WE ARE NOT DATING," she exclaimed as calmly as she could manage. "WE'RE JUST FRIENDS."

Before the twins could continue with their suspicions, or anger Hermione even further, Neville knew he had to gain control of the situation.

"We were just exploring the Castle when you guys walked into us," he lied, hoping his House mates would believe him.

Fred and George stared suspiciously at the two first years, but they really couldn't find a reason to doubt them. Deciding their presence was just a coincidence, they nodded their heads at Neville's explanation.

"All right then, mate," Fred replied good naturedly. "Our apologies for the collision, but we weren't really expecting anyone to be here. This floor is usually empty during the weekends, so we use the room as a place to relax and get away from it all."

When he realized his ploy worked, Neville let out a small sigh in relief. "No problem, mate," he replied happily. "Enjoy the rest of your day."

Neville watched as the third years waved at the two of them, before leaving down the empty hallway. Once he realized they were still laying on the ground, he pushed himself to his feet and then reached out his hand to help Hermione.

As he pulled the stunning Ravenclaw to her feet, Neville noticed the parchment she now held in her hand. Assuming it was the same one they overheard his fellow Gryffindors just talking about, he couldn't resist teasing his friend.

"Merlin help us," he cried out in mock outrage. "Hermione Granger just nicked a piece of parchment from one of my House mates. What is our world coming to?"

Hermione turned the glare she had for the twins on to the smiling Neville, and replied, "I did not steal anything, thank you very much. The parchment fell on the floor and I picked it up. Besides, it it's what I think it is, it belongs to Alex."

His curiosity now peaked, Neville asked, "What do you think the parchment is?"

Rather than waste time giving him an explanation, Hermione pulled out her wand and pointed at the parchment. It took her a second to remember the story Alex told her and Daphne, but then she tapped the map and said, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

The moment she finished saying the password, the two friends gasped as the map suddenly became active. From what they could tell at first glance, it seemed to show the entirety of the Castle and even included the grounds leading up to the Forbidden Forest. The most amazing part was, it also showed where every person was inside of the Castle.

"This is amazing," Neville said in awe. "I wonder how her dad made this?"

"He didn't do it by himself," Hermione explained. "Harry's dad and two of their other friends helped with the process. Alex said it took them three years to make it. One copy was lost during the war. One was destroyed by accident while they were still at school. Lord Black's copy was confiscated by Finch during his seventh year. And Harry's dad gave him his at the start of school."

"Wait a minute...Harry has one of these maps here with him?"

Hermione shrugged before replying, "That's what Alex told me."

The two friends spent another few minutes playing with the map, and once they were done Hermione pointed her wand at the map, tapped it once and said, "Mischief managed."

The two hour adventure they just had was more than enough for Hermione and she gently pushed Neville down the hallway. "All right, Mr. Longbottom. We took the break you wanted and now it's time to study."

Neville reluctantly nodded his head and joined his friend. As the pair quietly began to walk towards the library, he found himself suddenly thinking about the conversation they just overheard. The mere thought of a rare creature like a Cerberus being so close to them was almost too much for him to ignore. When combined with his desire to know what a Philosophers stone was, and why Dumbledore would keep it in a school full of children, Neville could feel the mystery just begging him to solve it.

"Hey Hermione?"

"Yeah, Neville?"

"Are you curious about what a Philosophers stone is?"

* * *

Harry nervously stood outside of the Ravenclaw common room, patiently waiting for Alex and Daphne to make their way outside. Once the girls found out about him and Neville making the Gryffindor Quidditch team, they were thrilled for the both of them. His fiances actually demanded that they celebrate such a momentous accomplishment and so here was two days later, hoping he was doing the right thing.

When the door opened and the girls finally walked out, Harry smiled hesitantly at the pair and said, "Hello, ladies. Are you ready for a day of fun?"

Daphne was surprised to see Harry standing outside of the Ravenclaw common room and curious as to how he knew where it was located. "What are you doing here, Harry?," she asked her fiance.

As soon as Harry heard the question, he felt his heart begin to beat faster than he thought was humanly possible. "Ahhh, you guys said you wanted to celebrate. I thought we decided on Friday that we would do something today. It's okay if you don't want to. If you're busy we can do something another time."

Daphne could see how nervous Harry was feeling at the moment, and she instantly felt bad for making him think she didn't want to celebrate his new spot as a Seeker.

"That's not what I meant, Harry," she replied quickly. "I was just wondering why you were here, as in at the Ravenclaw dorms. I thought it was supposed to be a secret from the other Houses."

Harry breathed a silent sigh of relief, happy that he hadn't misunderstood their conversation from two days ago. When he realized why Daphne was surprised, he flashed her his best smile and said, "That is a secret, my lady. If you play your cards right, I might even tell you after lunch."

Alex and Daphne mock glared at him, but they couldn't hold the expression for too long. His bubbling enthusiasm was just so contagious, and the pair couldn't stop themselves from sharing in his excitement. Soon the girls grabbed an arm each of their future husband, and allowed him to guide them to their destination.

When the pair found themselves walking out of the Castle, Alex directed her gaze towards her betrothed and asked, "Where are we going, Harry?"

"That's a surprise, Alex. But don't worry, the wait won't be too much longer. We're almost there."

After another five minutes of walking, the girls found themselves in a secluded corner near the Black Lake. They were about to ask what they were doing there, but stopped when they heard Harry mumble something. Suddenly the spell that was hiding the picnic area disappeared and the girls gasped at the large black and green blanket that was spread out across the grass. On top of it were a dozen pillows for them to sit on or lay against, and in the middle of this arrangement was a brown picnic basket and an ice bucket full of bottled water and butterbeer.

"If neither of you mind, I thought we could have lunch here, and maybe get to know each other a little bit better."

At the sight of the wonderful spread in front of her, Alex didn't know what to say. Between the beautiful lake that glistened only a few feet away and the amazing weather they were having that day, everything looked just perfect. When she turned to look at Daphne's reaction Alex could easily see that her blonde friend was just as moved by the gesture as she was, and suddenly she found herself doing something she didn't think was possible just two weeks ago. Before she could lose her resolve, Alex leaned forward and gently kissed Harry on the cheek.

"This is beautiful, Harry," she told him shyly. "Thank you for setting all of this up."

Harry felt his face flush red from the chaste kiss, and he quickly tried to divert his attention to the meal they were about to share. He helped both of the girls sit down comfortably on the soft blanket and then he took his seat across from them.

Once he was settled, Harry opened the bottomless brown picnic basket that rested in front of him and slowly began to pull out a plethora of dishes. Each dish that came out was a favorite of one of the girls, and he smiled when he saw the stunned looks suddenly appear on their faces. When the last dish was set down on the blanket, Harry grabbed three trays and handed one to each girl.

Alex watched the small mountain of food appear in front of them, and she was stunned by how many of the dishes she considered her favorite. Beside her she could see the calculating look in her best friend's blue eyes, and she just knew that several of the dishes were probably Daphne's favorites too.

"This is amazing, Harry. You have so many of the dishes that I love."

Harry grinned at the two girls and said, "I should hope so. I sent Hedwig to both of your mums and asked them what the two of you liked to eat. They each gave me a couple of options and since I couldn't decide what you might want to have today, I had the elves make a little bit of everything."

Daphne looked into the stunning green eyes of the boy she would one day marry, and she was extremely touched by the effort he put into the picnic. When she was several years younger she heard stories from her older cousins and even from her mother, about how little importance romance was given in the magical world. It always saddened her to think that men like her father were such a rarity in their community.

Ever since she was a child, Daphne was raised knowing her marriage would be done in order to help the family. Unlike other Pureblood parents, hers weren't cruel. They promised her they would never force her to marry anyone. All they would do was give her the options that they thought were the best for everyone. They even agreed to let her have final say on what that decision would be.

Despite all of those promises, when she learned she was magically bound to marry Harry Potter, she was furious with her parents. While she knew her choices in the future were going to be limited, she always felt comfortable knowing that the final choice would be hers. That she would marry someone she could at least get along with. The moment that choice was no longer hers to make, it took away the little bit of control she thought she had over her life.

But now things were different. With each day that she spent around her betrothed, she learned how amazing he really was. His actions on the train were just one of the reasons that drew her to him.

This past week she spent studying with Harry, she was amazed by how brilliant he was and how easily magic came to him. Despite that, he never once acted arrogantly in her presence. Instead he spent extra time patiently going over the material that she didn't understand properly. If she was being honest, he was probably a better teacher than some of the Professors at Hogwarts. The way he explained things just made them so fun and easy to learn. And now with this picnic, she was beginning to feel like he was the most incredible thing that ever happened to her.

Daphne was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Harry ask a nervous voice, "Is everything okay, Daphne? Did I get the wrong food for you?"

When she saw the worried look appear on Harry's face, Daphne couldn't help but think how cute he looked at that very moment. "Everything is fine, Harry. I'm just amazed that you did all of this for us. You, Mr. Potter, are full of surprises."

The trio then attacked the various dishes that were in front of them and when they each had a sample of everything present on their plate, they leaned back against the large pillows and ate their meal in a comfortable silence.

By the time the trio finished eating, Harry was unsure about what to do next. His dating experience was almost non-existent from his old world, and he'd never actually spoken to anyone about what to do on a date. Since he figured he set this picnic up for the three of them to learn more about each other, he decided he would tell them a little bit about himself first.

"Since this picnic was designed to help us learn more about each other, I thought I would go first.," Harry said nervously. "Ahh,I like the colors red, blue and green. I'm a big fan of the Muggle world, and I think they have a lot of ideas we can incorporate into the Magical one. I think our government has too many unfair laws, and I hope one day I have the chance to change them. Other than that, uhm, I've been studying magic for years and I guess I'm a bit of a prodigy at Runes and Potions."

Alex couldn't help but smile at his speech. It was obvious how hard he was working to get to know Daphne and her, and she really appreciated the effort he was making. She even thought his nervousness made him look more adorable than she could have normally imagined, and she was glad she had a second chance to become his friend. The new Harry was a million times better than the boy she once knew, and she couldn't wait to learn more about him."Is that how you made Snape look like a dunderhead on the first day?," she asked curiously. "I heard he asked you about the Werewolf potion. I can't believe you knew the answer to a NEWT level Potions question."

It was a statement to how relaxed he felt around the girls, that Harry didn't think before replying, "Snape's a jerk, and he deserved what he got for making fun of my dad. Besides, I've been working with the Werewolf potion for years. I could answer any of his questions with my eyes closed."

As soon as realized what he just said, Harry wanted to find a tree and destroy it by banging his head against it.

"Why have you been working with that potion for years, Harry?," Alex asked him.

Harry knew he was caught in a bind. The girls would know the truth come Christmas time, so he couldn't just lie to them now. Deciding partial honesty was the best policy, he replied, "I'm going to tell you, but please don't tell your parents. It's nothing bad, but I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. Okay?"

Once both girls nodded their head in agreement, Harry continued, "Uncle Moony has lived a tough life, and every time I think about it, I get angry at how unfair things are for him. Despite the fact that he's capable of achieving a Mastery in at least two core subjects, he's shunned by our society for being a Werewolf. So many talented people in our world are ignored and hated, because of something that wasn't even their fault to begin with. Ever since I found out I was good with potions, I wanted to find a way to help him. I've spent a lot of time experimenting with the Werwolf potion and I think I may have found a type of cure to the lycanthropy. Right now I'm having the Goblins test it for me, so if everything works out, that's going to be my Christmas present for Moony."

"WHAT?", both girls exclaimed at the same time.

"How did you do it?", came from Alex.

"What do you mean by a type of cure?," Daphne asked.

The sheer volume of the scream that came from both girls, was enough to knock Harry back into his pillow. He took a moment to clear his ringing ears and then replied, "For centuries people have been trying to cure Lycanthropy, but they all failed to remove the virus from the body. I tried to do the same thing too, and when I finally came to the realization that it couldn't be done, I thought of a different way to attack the problem."

Harry paused to take a breath and saw the two girls staring at him with rapt attention. He could clearly see the gleam in each of their eyes, and he couldn't help but smile at their obvious desire for knowledge. Both of his fiance were a credit to their House.

"Instead of trying to get rid of the virus, I decided to alter it," Harry said, as he continued with his explanation. "To me a Werewolf is a normal person that is forced to turn into a half-man half-wolf every full moon. It almost sounds like they become a bastardized version of an Animagus. So I thought why not change the virus and give them control over when they shift. It took quite a bit of work, but using a handful of specialized ingredients, I was able to combine the Wolfsbane potion with the Animagus revealing potion to find my cure. If everything works out like I expect it to, the Goblins should send me good news about the first phase of testing shortly after the full moon this month."

Daphne was amazed by what she was hearing. From the conversations she had with Alex, she knew Harry already had one huge discovery with Runes and Muggle technology, but his potion was beyond anything she could imagine. His discovery would be one of the greatest in the history of Magical Britain, and if it worked like he described, it could change the lives of thousands of people across the world. No longer would innocent witches and wizards be shunned for a disease that only affected them on a full moon.

"This is so incredible, Harry," Daphne told her fiance. "I'm so proud of you. If your potion works, you could singlehandedly change the course of the Magical world."

Meanwhile Alex was just as thrilled as her best friend at the news, but her joy was tempered at the mention of the testing. She wasn't stupid enough to think something like the potion could be claimed as a cure without testing it on acutal Werewolves, but she feared what the people being tested would have to endure.

"Will the people that are being tested be okay, Harry?," Alex asked her betrothed hesitantly.

As soon as Harry heard the concern in Alex's voice, he could sympathize with her reaction. At first he'd been afraid to test the potion too, but with Fate congratulating him on the potion in her letter and with her suggesting the added blood, he thought it was well worth the risk.

"I'm sure they will be fine, Alex," he tried to soothe the girl. "The Goblins made sure that everyone involved was aware of all three stages of testing before any of them signed their contracts, and I also hired the best Goblin Healers just in case anything goes wrong. I can't guarantee that nothing will happen to the people being tested, but I'm confident my potion will work."

"Contracts?," Daphne asked in surprise. "I thought people would be dying to test the cure for free."

"They were," Harry answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "But I wouldn't let anyone take a risk like this without being compensated for it. All six people involved in the trials are receiving 10,000 galleons each for their services. Merlin willing things go according to plan, by Yule break they'll have their money and the cure."

Both of the girls were stunned by the deal Harry was offering the Werewolves being tested. That much money was twice as much as what most Ministry Heads made in a year and a Werewolf would never get a chance to make so much for a few months worth of work. To have a chance for a cure to their condition and get paid for it, was a great deal in their eyes.

When Harry saw the contemplative look in both of the girls' eyes, he thought this was the perfect time to direct the conversation towards one of them. While he really was interested in knowing the two of them better, he had another reason to move the conversation away from him. The last thing he wanted to do was make a mistake and let someone know about his true past. That was a secret he intended to take to his grave.

"Harry clapped his hands gently together, and when the sound pulled the girls from their musing, he smiled at them and said, "I think that's enough about me ladies. I want to know about you guys as well. Do you want to go first, Alex?"

Alex was nervous about starting, but she knew it was only fair to let her significant others know about her. A part of her was dreading about telling the truth, but if she wanted this friendship to become a real relationship, she couldn't hide her secret forever.

"My favorite colors are red and black," she started nervously. "I love to read and I've gone through half the Black library, or at least I think I have. My parents put wards around the area with the Dark books, so I'm not really sure how big it is. I'm not sure exactly what I want to do after school, but if I had to pick something now, I'd like to be a spellweaver like my mum. I've seen her work a few times growing up, and her job looks right brilliant."

Alex licked her lips and looked up to see Harry and Daphne eagerly waiting for her to tell them more. She was afraid of saying the next part, but she summoned courage she didn't think she possessed and said, "I'm also a full Metamorphmagus."

Of all the things Harry was expecting to hear, he didn't think Alex being a Metamorphmagus would be one of them. He'd never seen her change. "How is that possible, Alex?," he asked her gently. "I've never seen you change."

Alex shifted her gaze away from his penetrating green eyes and replied, "I was seven when I found out, and by then we weren't on speaking terms anymore. My parents told me after my birthday that they bound my ability when I was still really young, and since my cousin Dora was Metamorphmagus too, that it was time for me to learn how to use my gift."

Daphne was surprised that her roommate and best friend had such an amazing magical talent. Metamorphs were prized all across the world and she was confused as to why her friend didn't seem to be thrilled with the gift.

"Why don't you like being a Metamorphmagus, Alex?," Daphne asked her future sister wife. "Most people would be thrilled to have such an ability."

"My cousin Dora is several years older than me, and sometimes when she'd come over to help me control my gift, she'd tell me how much of a burden our ability could be," Alex replied softly. "Guys at school didn't want her for her personality, they wanted to be with her because she could look like anyone they wanted. Sometimes she even cried that people only looked at her like a live sex doll. There to help them realize all of their fantasies."

Daphne felt herself pale at the answer. She always thought of how amazing the ability would be to have, and it never occurred to her what a burden it could be. The thought of everyone looking at her like a sex toy, made her shiver with disgust.

"We would never think of you like that, Alex," she quickly reassured her best friend. "We love you the way you are. You never have to be someone else in front of us."

"I agree with Daphne, Alex," Harry added. "I would hate for you to think we would ever look at you like that. As far as I'm concerned you're beautiful just as you are. You never have to change for us."

When she looked up and saw the sincerity clearly evident in both of their eyes, Alex couldn't stop the tears of happiness from falling down her face.

"Thank you," she replied happily to both of her future mates. "You don't know how much it means to me to hear you say that. I've been so worried about someone finding out, I've been extra careful to control my ability since I got to Hogwarts."

That was something Harry found to be curious. He knew Tonks well in his old world, and she could rarely control her ability when her emotions ran high. He was curious how Alex was able to control the change so well."

"If you don't mind me asking, Alex, how come we've never seen you change? I thought Metamorphs changed unknowingly during moments of emotional distress. I've seen you upset or excited quite a few times now, but your appearance never altered."

Alex shrugged her shoulders before replying, "Even though I'm a full Metamorphmagus Dora thinks I have more control over the way I look, because my ability is not as powerful as hers. I can change my appearance to look like anyone I want, but it won't effect my mass. For example, I could look like my dad right now, but I would still be my height."

Harry was fascinated by her ability, but thought better of continuing with his current train of thought. He could see how difficult this revelation was for Alex, and he had no intention of making her feel uncomfortable just to satisfy his curiosity.

After a few moments of silence, Daphne looked up to see her significant others staring at her, and she sighed knowing it was her turn to share.

"My favorite colors are blue, green, silver and white," she said in a strong voice. "Up until my brother was born last year, I was the named heiress of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Greengrass. I was raised knowing my marriage would always be a way for my family to gain strength through the alliance, but I always consoled myself with the knowledge that I would be able to spend my time running my family's company. When Jason was born, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I've always thought of joining politics and making changes that would make the lives of women better in our world, but it always seemed like just a dream to me. Without being an heiress, I really didn't have any power going into a marriage, and I didn't think any Pureblood Wizard would allow me to follow my dreams. Most of them just want a brainless trophy wife to provide them heirs and look pretty on their arms at public functions. Until you came along, Harry, I wasn't sure what my future would have in store for me."

Harry was shocked by the vehemence and pain he could hear Daphne's voice, and for the first time he realized how poorly women were looked upon in the magical world. He was so used to seeing women behave equal to men in the Muggle world, sometimes he forgot how behind the times Magicals really were.

"You can do whatever you want to do, Daphne," Harry told her firmly. "If you want to enter politics, then take the Peverell seat in the Wizengamot and fight for the rights you believe in. If you want to spend time building a business from the ground up, I'll give you however many galleons you need to start it. Hell, if you want to be the Minister of Magic some day, I'll be the first one to stand behind you and offer you my support. I never want you to think that you have to forget about your dreams just because you got married to me. When the time comes for us to finally tie the knot, I want all three of us to be equals in the marriage. Your wants and desires need to matter just as much as my own."

As she looked into his piercing green eyes, Daphne could clearly see Harry meant every word he just said. She could see the determination flowing through every fiber in his body, and it touched her that he would care so much for her happiness. In that very moment she didn't see the Prince Charming she dreamt about as a little girl. Instead she saw someone far better. A person who would love and respect her, as much as she would love and respect him. A person she could spend the rest of her life with.

Harry felt his anger begin to grow, as he continued to think about the things Daphne just said. Like a good little soldier she was expected to sacrifice her life, so that her family could one day reap the benefits. It angered him to think how little the Magical world cared about women, and he was disgusted with himself for not recognizing it sooner. The rage he felt at the thought of his sister sacrificing their dreams for some useless Pureblood, threatened to overwhelm.

His righteous frustration came crashing to a halt, when Harry felt a blond missile come flying into him. The moment her face buried into his chest, Harry could feel the girl begin to sob and through it all he could hear her repeating, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

As he wrapped his arms around Daphne and pulled her into a tight embrace, Harry swore this world would be different. Once Voldemort was taken care of, he wouldn't go into hiding this time around. No matter what it took, in this world he would make a difference. He would drag them kicking and screaming if he had to, but he would bring Magical Britain out of the Dark Ages and into the modern world.

* * *

Quirinus Quirrell sat on the chair in his office, patiently waiting for his Master to speak. He didn't need words to know that his Lord was angry, because he could feel the rage seeping into his mind from the partially possessed spirit attached to the back of his head.

"**Quirinus?**"

"Yes Master?"

"**Something must be done about the Longbottom boy. He's too powerful for a normal first year. It's obvious Dumbledore must have taken him as an Apprentice.**"

"His power is nothing in comparison to yours, my Lord."

"**Of course it's not you fool. He's just a child. But children grow up, Quirinus. It wouldn't be prudent to let the boy grow into his power.**"

"Shall I kill him then, Master?"

There was a long pause, as Quirrell eagerly waited to hear his orders.

"**No, the stone is more important. For now that is our priority.**"

"I understand, my Lord. I have used my resources to procure a dragon egg for the half giant. Within a month we should have the knowledge to get past the mutt guarding the door."

"**Very good, Quirinus, you have pleased me. I have decided that we will steal the stone during the feast on Samhain. The night of my demise shall now mark the night of my rebirth.**"

"By your will, my Lord, but what will we do about Dumbledore? He will be at the feast with the other Professors and I'm sure the old coot must have several monitoring Charms placed around the stone."

"**You are correct, Quirinus. We will obviously need a diversion for the adults to handle.**"

"Might I offer a suggestion, Master?"

"**Speak.**"

"I may be able to get us a troll, if you can control it until it's safely inside the Castle."

"**The troll will not be a problem, but I will have to completely possess your body to do so**."

"I am your willing servant, Lord Voldemort. Anything you require is yours for the taking."

"**Very well, Quirinus. Have your people procure a troll for us before Samhain.**"

"As you command, my Lord, so shall it be."


	13. Midnight, Altor and the Birth of PAL

**Chapter 13: Midnight, Altor and the Birth of P.A.L.**

Harry walked out of the bathroom in his private suite, wearing a loose white t-shirt and a pair of baggy black shorts. He dried his hair furiously with the towel in his hand, and when he was done he threw the wet garment into the hamper he placed by the bathroom door.

The day had been a strenuous one for him, and the hot shower was exactly what he needed to relax. When he planned the celebratory picnic with the girls, he never expected things to turn so heavy. Fortunately once he was able to calm Daphne down, they were able to salvage the rest of their lunch.

The trio spent the rest of the day together sharing stories and talking about school. During this time Harry made sure to steer the topic away from anything too serious, and he was more than happy to answer their questions about his potion or the runic array he created. After several hours of conversation and multiple plates full of food, the day turned out to be more enjoyable than he could have imagined. In the end he was glad he set the picnic up.

Alex and Daphne were still both young, but in them he saw the potential for two amazing women to develop. While they were both pretty now, in a few years they would grow into their bodies, and he had no doubt they would both be gorgeous. When their beauty was taken in conjunction with their brains, Harry was truly thankful for Fate's intervention. When they were older, either girl would have been anyone's dream wife, and he was fortunate enough to marry both one day.

When the alarm he set on his wand began blinking, Harry knew it was time to begin the next part of his day. Since his last discussion with Death, he had been diligently working on developing his Shadow Mage abilities. So far he'd trained with them for several hours each night this week, and now he could Shadow Walk to any place he could picture in his mind. His last experiment took him to the alley outside of the Leaky Cauldron, and he was pleased that his ability allowed him to bypass the Hogwarts wards.

As a reward for his hard work and dedication in developing the gift Fate gave him, Harry planned tonight to merge again with his two Animagus forms. He missed having the benefits he received from the merger, and since Death assured him his body could handle the change, he couldn't wait to shift into his forms again.

As soon as he was ready to begin the process he learned in the time Chamber, Harry conjured a full length mirror with his wand and then floated the item to his bedroom. He immediately saw an empty wall that was perfect for his purpose and stuck the mirror to its surface with a sticking Charm. Once he was ready, Harry sat down in front of the mirror and closed his eyes. Taking deep, even breaths, he slowly allowed his body to enter into a trancelike state.

Suddenly in his mind Harry found himself standing at the edge of a thick forest and he could feel his animals hiding somewhere deep within the trees. Harry used his magic to call out to them and the first one to answer his call was the Great Grey Owl.

Harry called this form Midnight and from what he was able to learn of the breed, it was the largest type of owl in the world. The stunning bird's coloring was a shade of grey dark enough to be mistaken for black and its underparts were streaked with silver. Just like his second Animagus form, Midnight shared the same emerald green eyes that he got from his mother.

When he first used the form in the time Chamber, Hedwig spent hours helping him learn how to use his new wings properly. It was a long drawn out process, but when he finally got it right, it was one of the most thrilling experiences he ever had in the air, and Harry longed to do it once again.

When the owl landed gently on his shoulder, Harry reached out his hand and scratched the top of its head. "Hey Midnight," he called out to the bird. "You ready to merge again, boy?"

Midnight Hooted loudly in his ear and then leapt off his shoulder and into the sky. Now that he'd met the bird, once he returned to the waking world, Harry knew he would be able to make the change. All he needed to do before he left his mindscape was to meet his second form.

Harry called out again with his magic, and once more he failed to get a response. He was getting frustrated with his inability to meet his second form, and so he decided he wouldn't hold back anymore. He gathered all the magic that he could feel in his body and unleashed the full might of his powers against the forest. The trees literally swayed under his fury and when he finally stopped, a shape began to emerge in front of him.

The wait was excruciating for him, but when the animal was almost out of the forest Harry could barely contain his excitement. His second form was a light orange Bengal tiger with dark black stripes and a white underbelly. Due to its size and power, Harry fittingly called this form Altor. Latin for protector, Altor was truly worthy of his name.

When the animal finally emerged from the forest, Harry was shocked by what he saw. Altor was significantly larger than he remembered from his old world, and the Bengal tiger looked to be stronger and faster in his new body. But his size was just one of the noticeable changes Harry could see. The second was his coloring. Where once the tiger had orange fur, and dark black stripes, now it was black from head to toe.

Harry watched the midnight black tiger stalk menacingly towards him, and he couldn't help but appreciate the tiger's deadly grace. Altor's every step screamed power and danger, and Harry knew to be wary of the majestic beast.

When the tiger finally stood before him, Altor's killing curse green eyes stared piercingly into his own, and Harry felt as if he was being tested all over again. Refusing to back down from the tiger's deadly glare, Harry stared back at him without any fear in his eyes. For a moment he wasn't certain what would happen next, but soon Altor dropped his head in surrender, and allowed Harry to run his fingers through the tiger's soft fur. Now that his second form had accepted him once more, Harry was ready to return to the waking world and make the change.

Harry closed his eyes in his mindscape and willed himself to leave the forest in his mind. As soon as he opened his eyes once more, he smiled at the sight of the mirror in front of him. Now that he was back in his bedroom again, it was finally time to merge with his animal forms.

**The first one he wanted to do was Midnight. Through the Great Grey Owl, Harry received a gift he would always be grateful for. After years of spending life barely able to see, the vision the merger would grant him, would surpass anything a normal human could hope to achieve. The ability to see things with such clarity was an experience he would never forget and Harry couldn't wait to have it back again.**

When he was ready to start the change, Harry pictured the image of Midnight firmly in his mind, and then pushed his magic to make the change happen. Unlike his old body where the change was near instantaneous, his new body was still learning how to shift forms for the first time. The process took almost two minutes to complete, but in the end Harry changed into an exact replica of Midnight the owl.

Proud of his accomplishment, Harry took a moment to admire his new form, and then used his magic to change back. When he finally returned to his normal body, Harry instantly saw the improvement in his vision. He smiled at the thought of once again having "perfect" vision, and he was thankful to Midnight for being one of his Animagus forms.

Harry gave himself a few minutes to give his body some rest. While he had more than enough power to make the change easily, his young body still couldn't handle that much magic at one time.

When he felt his breath finally return, Harry pictured the new image of Altor firmly in his mind, and then used his magic to shift into the tiger. Much like with Midnight, the change took several minutes to complete, but when he was done, Harry was a midnight black Bengal tiger. As he looked over his new form in the mirror Harry marveled at how large he was now.

From the research Harry did in his old world, he knew Bengal tigers were one of the largest species of tigers in the world, and in Altor's old form Harry was slightly bigger than average. From nose to tip of tail, Altor used to be 315cm(10ft) in length, 120cm(4ft) in height and 260kg(573lbs) in weight. The midnight black version of the tiger was even bigger at 336cm(11ft) in length, 130cm(4.2ft) in height, and 285kg(628lbs) in weight.

Harry allowed himself a minute to admire his massive tiger form, and then used his magic to change back. Unlike Midnight, the benefit of the tiger to his body was two fold. The first was the change to his senses. While it didn't improve his vision any further, he could now hear, smell and taste better than before. When he tested the new ability, Harry was pleased to smell the wet towel he placed in the hamper near the bathroom door.

The second gift Altor granted him was improved reflexes. Harry was already blessed with his innate speed, but with his Animagus bonus added to the mix, now his balance would always be perfect and his reaction time would be better than normal. He was too tired from shifting to test his reflexes now, but he had every intention of using them during his sparring session with Neville in the morning.

When he finally got to his feet Harry could feel the t-shirt he wore was resting more snuggly across his chest. As soon as he took it off, Harry was stunned to see the increase in the size and definition of his muscles in the mirror. This change hadn't occurred in his old world, but he wasn't about to kick a gift horse in the mouth. He was just happy the change wasn't more noticeable. As long as he had his robes on, he didn't think anyone would be able to tell the difference.

By this time the shifting had taken its toll on Harry's young body, and he could feel his eyes wanting to close from the exhaustion. Somehow he managed to drag himself to his bed, and crawled on top of it to grab the sleep his body was craving.

* * *

As the weeks passed, Harry's life at Hogwarts fell into the perfect routine. He would workout with Neville in the morning, go to class throughout the day, play Quidditch four times a week, spend time with the girls studying and talking in the evening and finally work on his own personal training at night.

The workload he set for himself was quite extensive, but Harry loved every minute of it. He could feel his magic and body getting stronger every day, and he pushed himself to work harder and do better. His second chance at Hogwarts was going infinitely better than his first go around, and this time he decided he would take full advantage of the resources that were available to him.

During the time that elapsed the five friends firmly established themselves as the standard bearers of their year. With Neville and Harry tied for first, Hermione having sole possession of second, and Alex and Daphne sharing the the third spot, the fab five were loved by every teacher at the school, not named Snape.

Two weeks before the Samhain feast, the five friends were in the library sitting on the table Hermione claimed for them weeks ago. Four members of the group were busy working on the Transfiguration essay that was assigned earlier in the day, while the fifth member was working on a completely separate project.

With the knowledge that Harry already had at his disposal, first year assignments were a joke to him. Since Hogwarts gave out the homework schedule for each term, Harry was already done with assignments up to midway in the second term. Instead of wasting his time doing things he already knew, Harry worked on projects that interested him. Currently he was working on writing a book.

When the war ended in his old world and Harry exiled himself to the Island, he often thought about writing a DADA book. After overcoming the crap that passed for teachers in the subject during his first time at Hogwarts, Harry found that there wasn't a single book that truly explained the subject thoroughly. During his training he found some books that were good to a point, but each of them had several flaws that made it seem obvious the authors never had any real life experience at fighting against Dark Creatures or with other Witches and Wizards in duels.

The project he was currently working on, was something he began during the third week of school. After another day of watching the useless Quirrelmort fake stutter his way through another class, Harry just couldn't take it anymore. He was done wasting his time in that class, and that's when he had the brilliant idea to write the book.

At first the project was only meant for him to occupy his time during DADA classes, but soon it turned into an obsession. Since he didn't have to worry about homework or paying attention in class, Harry spent most of the day working on his book. Thanks to the eidetic memory he now possessed, he was able to reference the dozens of books he read during his training in the time Chamber. Between the knowledge he learned in his old world and with his own experience at fighting Dark Creatures and Death Eaters, Harry set out to create the ultimate DADA source.

The book was separated into several sections that included, in depth information on Dark Creatures, advantages and disadvantages of using Transfiguration, Charms and Potions in DADA, battle strategy against Dark Creatures and Dark Wizards, Dueling tips, and his personal favorite...Spells.

While most DADA books only provided thirty or forty spells for the readers to learn, Harry was combining all of his knowledge to add every spell that he thought would be useful to know in a fight. So far he had 200 spells earmarked for the book, and he was always looking to add more.

Each spell in the book would have pictures showing the correct wand movements, any history he knew of the spell's origin, and how and when to use the spell effectively in real life. Thanks to the money he spent hiring the Weasley twins to take pictures for him on Saturdays, Harry now had 114 of the 200 spells already completed. At the pace he was going, he hoped to finish documenting everything by the Yule break.

"Harry looked up from the spell he was working one, when he heard Hermione ask, "Harry, are you listening to me?"

"Sorry, Hermione, I was working on the book. What did you say?"

"I asked you when we can see this masterpiece you've been working on for weeks," Hermione replied, her voice laced with a hint of frustration and whining. "You're just so secretive about it. Didn't you ever learn that sharing is caring? Come on, Harry, share with the rest of us."

Harry smirked at his friends obvious curiosity and said, "Sorry, Hermione, but I don't want you guys to see it until I'm done."

When he saw the brunette Ravenclaw pout at him, Harry was once again surprised by how outgoing and personable this Hermione was in comparison to his own. Apparently having a good group of friends early on, and with two of them being girls her own age, brought out the playful side of Hermione that he only rarely got so see in his old world.

"Now, now, now, Hermione," he replied with a slow shake of his index finger. "Don't you know that good things come to those who wait?"

Harry never got a chance to hear his friend's response to his teasing, because Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot suddenly appeared at their table. Briefly startled by the arrival of the two Hufflepuffs, Harry quickly brushed aside his surprise and said, "Hello ladies. What can I do for you today?"

Susan Bones stared at the first year heartthrob in front of her and when his mesmerizing green eyes looked at her, she momentarily forgot how to speak. When she realized the five people at the table were now staring at her, waiting for her to say something, Susan felt herself blush red from the embarrassment.

"H-h-hi, Harry," she said shyly. "H-how are you doing today?"

"I'm doing fine, Susan," Harry replied with a flash of the now famous Potter smile. "Did you need some help with your essay?"

"N-n-no, I'm fine with the Transfiguration essay," Susan answered. "Some of us were wondering if you would be able to tutor us in Defense. You seem to be really good at in class, and with the first term exams coming up, a lot of us are really far behind in the subject. I'm not sure about you, but Professor Quirrell is kind of hard for me to understand."

As soon as heard the question, Harry's mind immediately flashed to the DA members he taught in his fifth year. The extra study sessions he provided went a long ways towards teaching his peers how to survive the upcoming war with the Death Eaters. He was proud that several of the students who fought in and lived through the Battle of Hogwarts, were former members of the group.

If his old world was any indication, Harry was well aware of the useless Professors the school would potentially have for the subject in the future. The longer he thought about it, the more Harry liked the idea of starting something like the DA sooner in this world. The more students that were prepared against Voldemort's eventual return, the more people that would survive the war he knew was coming. Suddenly several ideas popped into his head, and as he thought them all through, his mind began to pull them together to formulate his new plan.

"How many people are looking to be tutored, Susan?," Harry asked, hoping the number would a decent amount.

"I can tell you all of the Hufflepuff first years would say yes. And I know of a few kids from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw that would join if you were offering."

It wasn't the large numbers he was normally used to dealing with in the DA, but it was more than enough for him to put his plan into motion.

"You know what, Susan," Harry said with a knowing look and his Potter smile. "I just might be able to help you guys learn the material. Give me a few days to get some things together and I'll get back to you. Sound good?"

Susan grinned happily back at him and said, "Yeah, Harry. That sounds good. Thanks for helping us out."

When the two puffs made their way back to their own table, Harry quickly grabbed his things and began to stuff them into his bottomless book bag. Just as he was about to leave, Harry heard Daphne ask, "Where are you going, Harry?"

"I've got a few things I need to take care of, Daph," Harry replied in a hurry. "I've got to send a letter to my dad and Moony, and then I have a presentation I need to work on for McGonagall. I have an idea about helping the students who want tutoring, but I need her to sign off on it first."

Before anyone else could stop him with a question, the four friends watched Harry rush out of the library. At the sight of his departure, Hermione felt her curiosity come bubbling to the surface.

"Anyone else curious what he's up to?," she asked the rest of the group.

"It's Harry, Hermione," Neville replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "He won't tell us until he's ready for us to know, so there's no point worrying about it. You know that."

Hermione huffed once in annoyance, but she knew her hazel eyed friend was right. Trying to get answers out of Harry was like pulling teeth, and after six week of knowing him, even she knew better than to waste her time.

* * *

Harry took several deep, calming breaths, as he made his way to McGonagall's office. He asked for this meeting right after his talk with Susan, and now three days later he was ready to make his presentation.

When he arrived at her door, he knocked twice and heard McGonagall's voice call out for him to enter. As soon as he walked into the Transfiguration Professor's office, Harry saw the stern teacher sitting behind her desk, with Professor Flitwick resting comfortably in a chair across from her.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter," McGonagall greeted him. "Please have a seat and tell us why you requested this meeting."

Harry took the empty chair next to the diminutive Charms Professor, and smiled nervously at the two teachers. "Good evening, Professors. Thank you again for allowing me to take up some of your valuable time. I'm here today to ask your permission to start a tutoring group."

McGonagall arched her eyebrow at the request and asked, "And what exactly will you be tutoring, Mr. Potter?"

"The P.A.L. group will be offering our services to tutor students in Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Defense and Herbology," Harry replied confidently. "As of now I have 5 students along with myself ready to tutor those who need it. Hermione is at the top of our year in Charms, Neville is great at Transfiguration, Daphne is second in our year at Potions, Alex is excellent at Defense and Hannah is somewhat of a Herbology prodigy. I apologize if this sounds arrogant, Professor, but I believe I'm the top student in our year, and I feel more than comfortable with tutoring students in all of these subjects."

"The Pal group?," Flitwick asked curiously. "What is that, Mr. Potter?"

"Peer Assistance Learning," Harry answered. "Muggles have run several studies that show students are uncomfortable with asking teachers for help with a given problem. Often they're afraid of upsetting the teachers with needless questions, or as is most often the case, looking stupid in front of them. More often than not, students ask other students for help. I just want to take that to a larger scale."

"And what exactly will you need, if I agree to grant this request?", McGonagall asked him.

"I would like to requisition five adjoining empty classrooms on the sixth floor, for the new P.A.L. study center."

"My word, Mr. Potter," McGonagall exclaimed loudly. "What in Merlin's name do you need that much space for?"

Harry grabbed the moleskin bag at his hip, and pulled out a dozen pictures he drew over the past few days. These were the sketches he made to show the Professors exactly what he wanted to do.

After handing half the pictures to McGonagall and the other half to Flitwick, Harry explained what he wanted to do.

"I would like the Study Center to become an informal common room for the entire school. All houses will be welcome, and students will be able to help each other with their problems. The space provided by the five classrooms will be reconfigured to allow for a sitting area with a few couches, a dozen tables and chairs for studying, a properly vented Potions room for students to practice in, a room for students to practice their spell casting and a room that will be converted into a small gym."

When he saw both his Professors with their jaws hanging, Harry wasn't sure if he should be amused or afraid of their reaction.

Filius was the first of the pair to recover, and while he thought the entire request was quite excessive, one part in particular jumped out at him. "Why a gym, Mr. Potter? Most magicals don't really believe in Muggle exercise."

Harry nodded his head in agreement and said, "That's true, sir, but it doesn't mean that exercise isn't good for you. Just because some Purebloods don't believe in Muggle methods, doesn't mean that the Muggles are wrong. Muggles believe a healthy mind requires a healthy body and I think the same can hold true for magic. The healthier and stronger your body is, the longer you can cast different spells. Frankly, sir, all you would have to do is provide the room for the machines, I'm more than willing to purchase all the equipment myself."

When he saw that both Professors were still hesitant about the idea, Harry could easily guess the reason why.

"The Quidditch teams already have access to a gym the school provides for their training, ma'am," Harry explained to the pair. "Since it's been a part of the school for several decades now, it's not like the Purebloods can claim I'm ruining tradition by bringing in Muggle ideas into the school. The idea was already here long before my parents were even born. The gym I'm proposing would be almost exactly like the one the school provides for the House teams, except now it would be available for all students and not just Quidditch players."

As she stared into the green eyes of her brilliant Lion cub, Minerva McGonagall didn't know what to think. The request he made was certainly more grand than anything she expected this evening. If it were anyone else, she would have already kicked them out of her office for wasting her time. But this was one of her cubs that was different. His work in her class was above and beyond what was necessary to receive an Outstanding, and she knew Filius felt the same way. This alone made her really consider if he could pull off such an ambitious endeavor. Besides, the past few weeks something had been bothering her about the young Gryffindor and if her suspicions were correct, it was time to see how advanced her cub really was.

"What makes you think you can do this, Mr. Potter? I doubt a first year could teach upperclassmen, and the space you've requested is significantly larger than what a few first years would need."

Harry knew this was his make or break moment. If he said nothing, his request would be denied. But if he gave them even a hint of his true abilities, the old man would hear about it, and he'd be caught right in the middle of the headbastard's crosshairs. That was something he wanted to avoid for as long as possible, but in the end he decided hiding wasn't worth it. If he could start this world's version of the DA sooner, he could help these kids have a better chance at surviving Voldemort's return, and that alone was worth any discomfort he would feel under Dumbledore's scrutiny.

"What if I told you I could do every spell in the Standard Book of Spells from 1st year to 5th year? That if I took my O.W.L.s today, I would be confident that I passed with high marks?"

McGonagall had to force herself not to smile at the response. She knew her cub was hiding his true abilities. "I would call you a liar," she replied, hoping to goad him into sharing more information with her.

Harry was expecting such a response from the Deputy Headmistress, and before either Professor could react, he flipped out his wand from his wrist holster and silently cast the Patronus Charm.

Flitwick gasped at the sudden appearance of the corporeal Stag Patronus in the office, and reached his hand out to gently pat the magical creature on the back. He could feel the love and happiness rolling off of the golden Stag, and he once more marveled at his young student's power and ability. As a Master in the subject, he knew that the Charm was one that most adults failed to manage in their entire lifetime, and yet here was a first year doing it with ease. It almost boggles the mind to imagine what the boy would be capable of in a few years.

McGonagall wasn't expecting Harry to summon a Patronus, but it was the proof she needed to know that he would be able to handle the Center he wanted to create. The verification of his advanced skill was enough for her to believe her suspicions about him were correct.

"Tell me, Mr. Potter, how long have you been an Animagus?"

Harry felt his heart skip a beat at the question, and he silently cursed himself for whatever mistake he made to make McGonagall aware of it. He wracked his brain trying to figure out how she knew, but he kept coming up with a blank. Over the past few weeks he ran through the Forbidden Forest as Altor and soared through the air with Hedwig as Midnight. But he always waited until late night to enjoy his animal forms, and it baffled him as to how the stern Professor could have figured it out.

"W-w-what makes you think I'm an Animagus, Professor?," Harry asked hesitantly.

McGonagall's eyes narrowed dangerously at the foolish question she heard from her cub and in her most commanding voice she replied, "Do not lie to me, Mr. Potter. At first I wasn't sure if you were an Animagus, but your display right now with the Patronus makes me believe that you have the skill and magical power necessary to make the change. And since I've been able to smell the cat on you these past few weeks, I'm confident you have already shifted completely at least once. As I'm sure you are aware, your merger gives you some heightened senses from your animal form. The same holds true for me and my form. Besides, I would expect nothing less from the son of James Potter. At least your father had the good sense to wait until his 4th year to attempt such a dangerous form of magic."

Harry grimaced at the mixture of her tone and the answer he received. With his eidetic memory and all the power at his disposal, he couldn't believe he was stupid enough to be found out by his smell. He wanted to kick himself for not thinking of using a simple spell to hide Altor and Midnight's odor from his body. In his arrogance he didn't think anyone would learn the truth, and now he was paying for it.

Once he decided he had no choice but to tell the truth, Harry nodded his head, and said, "Yes, ma'am. I am an Animagus and I made my first change during the first week of school."

When she finally heard the confirmation she had been waiting to hear, Minerva wasn't sure whether to be thrilled by the prodigy in front of her, or furious that he'd done such a dangerous transformation by himself.

"How did you do it?," she asked calmly.

Harry didn't want to tell her about the Shaman method he learned from one of his teachers in the Chamber and so he lied, "I drank an Animagus revealing potion a few months ago. I found out about it in a notebook my dad had that documented his own change during school. I just followed his directions. I swear I wasn't trying to make the change, Professor. I just wanted to see what my form was. Then a few weeks ago I was meditating in my room and accidentally shifted. It took me awhile to turn back to normal, but once I did it, shifting back and forth became easier."

"Do you know how dangerous what you did is?," she asked her cub with a touch of anger in her voice. "You could have died if something went wrong and someone wasn't around to help you."

"I understand, ma'am," Harry replied in his best innocent voice. "The first time really was an accident. I had no intention of attempting the change for at least a few years."

Once she was certain her cub had been properly reprimanded and was aware of how dangerous his actions were, she said, "Tomorrow morning you will accompany me to the Ministry and register your form with the DMLE. Do I make myself clear, Mr. Potter?"

For the first time in a long while, Harry was happy that he'd been on point about covering his tracks for the future. As soon as he completed his first change he decided it would be prudent to register one of his forms. He picked Altor since it was hard to be inconspicuous as a 700lb black tiger. Midnight was the perfect form to do something like that, and would be the ace up his sleeve in case someone learned about his registered form.

The day after his first change, he'd contacted Ripclaw and had him register Altor with the ICW. The Ministry law stated that all Animagus forms had to be registered, and since being registered with the ICW counted, he didn't bother sending anything to the Ministry. It wasn't his fault they didn't properly look at the paperwork that came from outside of Britain.

"That won't be necessary, Professor."

"And why exactly would that be, Mr. Potter?," she asked him crisply. "Do you know that it is illegal to be a non-registered Animagus? You could be fined and sent to Azkaban if this was discovered."

"I know it's illegal to be an unregistered Animagus, ma'am," Harry replied with a smug smile. "But I already registered through the ICW."

Minerva was certainly surprised to hear that. "Why didn't you want to register with the Ministry?," she asked, curious to hear his reason.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and said, "Rita Skeeter already had me in the papers three times since school started. While a lot of her stories were fabricated, she did have valid information in each of them. Information that she shouldn't have had access to, because it was supposed to be confidential. I didn't want anyone to know I was an Animagus, so I decided to register with the ICW. It's not my fault the Ministry doesn't properly check paperwork they receive from outside the country. What I did is technically legal, and now I don't have to worry about the Ministry's stellar ability to safeguard secrets."

Minerva didn't necessarily like it, but she couldn't fault her cub's reasoning. Since he wasn't breaking any laws she would trust in his judgement.

"Very well, Mr. Potter. I will respect your decision this time and I want to thank you for being honest with me today. Professor Flitwick and I will discuss your proposal and let you know our decision in a few days time. Would it be possible to hold on to these picture in the mean time?"

Harry nodded his head happily and said, "Sure Professor. You can hold on to the pictures for as long as you want and I look forward to hearing what your decision will be."

As he got up to leave the office, Harry heard McGonagall ask, "Was I right, Mr. Potter? Is your form a cat?"

Harry grinned at the question. Technically a tiger was a cat. "Yes you were, Professor."

McGonagall was quite pleased to hear she guessed correctly. "What color is it?"

"It's a black cat, Professor," Harry replied, trying to keep the smile off his face.

"Would you mind showing us, Mr. Potter? It's so rare to meet an Animagus these days and I would love to see another black cat."

At that very moment, Harry was grateful that he'd spent so much time training his new body to shift into his animal forms. Where once he took almost two minutes to complete the change, now he was almost at the point of the change being instantaneous.

When he saw both Professors eagerly waiting for his reply, Harry felt his inner Marauder laughing at the opportunity. Without giving them an answer, Harry leapt forward and shifted into Altor. The sudden presence of a near 700lb black tiger was enough to scare them senseless and cause both of them to fall out of their chairs.

Harry knew this act would most likely cost him a detention with both teachers at some point, but he didn't care. Their reactions were nothing short of priceless. As Harry watched his teachers pick themselves up off the floor, if at that moment anyone was watching him, they would never again say they haven't seen a tiger laughing its ass off.


	14. Enter the Troll

**Chapter 14: Enter The Troll**

Harry was waiting outside of the door to the new P.A.L. study center, hoping McGonagall and Flitwick would arrive soon. For three days he'd been anxiously waiting for their decision to be made, and when it finally came he was informed that the empty classes had already been reconfigured . He was a little put out that he wasn't consulted about the design of the new Center, because he had reasons for why he wanted things in a certain place.

After another ten minutes of waiting, Harry breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the two teachers walking down the hallway. By the time the pair actually reached him, he could barely stop himself from jumping up in down in his excitement to see the new Center.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter," McGonagall greeted him. "I trust you will be happy with the changes we have made to your Study Center."

"Good morning, Professors," Harry answered back. "I'm sure whatever you guys came up with will be great, ma'am. I'm just excited to see it."

Without wasting anymore time McGonagall waved her wand at the door and when she heard it unlock, she nodded at her eager young cub and said, "After you, Mr. Potter."

Harry quickly opened the door and as soon as he walked in, his jaw dropped in shock. The Study Center he was standing in was almost an exact replica of the one he designed and gave the teachers the pictures to.

The massive room was rectangular in shape, and everything in it was arranged just as he imagined. Unlike the House common rooms, the entire Center was a neutral off white in color. The far right corner of the Center had several smaller desks that would be used by the different tutors while they were explaining things to students. The far left corner contained a fairly large sitting area, complete with brown leather couches and several large bookcases that once filled, would make for a nice personal library. The large space that was in between both areas contained over a dozen tables with comfortable chairs for students to study at their leisure.

As he made his way to the three doorways directly across from the entrance, Harry knew these would lead to the other rooms he requested. When he opened the first door, it led to a classroom that was ideal for students to practice their Potions in. The room held a dozen stations for cauldrons to be lit over a controlled fire, and from the strategically placed vents he could see everywhere, he was happy they wouldn't have to worry about any fumes from the potions.

When he walked through the second door, Harry immediately knew it was the spell practicing area that he requested. He could see two training dummies already present in the room, and he mentally reminded himself to purchase several more. For now the two dummies would be enough for his needs, but once he began to teach the students how to really fight, he knew he would need several Auror grade dueling dummies for them to practice properly. The room itself was big enough to accommodate a large group of students if he needed to make demonstrations, and once he added his own touches to it, it would be perfect for his needs.

The final room that he inspected was the only one that was empty, but it was also surprisingly the largest of the three. Harry intended to use this area to put all the gym equipment he would purchase, but now he had more space than he would need. Easily two and a half times bigger than the gym available to the Quidditch players, Harry quickly began thinking of ways to fill in the added space. Not only could he purchase a few extra treadmills for the students now, but it was big enough for him to place several mats in a corner, just in case anyone other than Neville wanted to learn how to fight Muggle style.

Once he was done with his inspection Harry turned towards the silent teachers and saw both of them staring at him, waiting to hear his reaction. "This is absolutely amazing, Professors," he said to them in a perfect mixture of giddiness and awe. "You made everything exactly how I imagined. It's...it's...perfect."

When Minerva saw her young cub's face light up with happiness, the normally stern teacher allowed a brief smile to grace her lips.

"I'm glad you approve of the new Center, Mr. Potter," she said with a knowing smile. "Once Professor Flitwick and I agreed to allow you this opportunity, neither one of us saw any reason not to make the Center how you imagined it. After all, the pictures you gave us were quite detailed. I don't believe the House Elves had any problems recreating the things you wanted to have."

Harry could barely concentrate on the conversation he was having with the two teachers, because his mind kept wandering to the various things he wanted to provide for the Center. The moment his thoughts went to the small library he planned to set up for the students, he immediately recalled a conversation he had with Alex about the Ravenclaw common room.

"Professor Flitwick, would it be possible for you to add the same Charm to the Center as you did for the Ravenclaw common room?," Harry asked the teacher. "I want to add a few books to our library, but I don't want to lose them because students forgot to bring them back."

The diminutive teacher grinned at Harry's foresight and nodded his head in an approving manner. "Of course, Mr. Potter. As long as you have the books checked first by myself or Professor McGonagall, I would be happy to place the Charm on the Center for you. Just remember to have everything set up exactly as you want it before you call me. Not only does the Charm work solely on the things that are already present in the area when it's cast, it also makes sure that the items in the room are returned to their starting position at a certain time every day or when someone tries to remove them from the target area."

Harry was startled to hear that. From what he learned from Alex, he just thought the Charm would prevent anyone from taking the Center items out of the room. He didn't realize it would also help them with the cleaning up.

"Wow, that's brilliant, Professor," he exclaimed. "I thought the Charm only prevented people from taking things out of the target area."

Flitwick's eyes twinkled briefly at the exclamation he heard from his prize student. He actually altered the spell during his third year as a Professor at Hogwarts, and it was one of his favorite modifications. Over the years he tried to help Madam Pince by modifying the spell further to work for the Hogwarts library, but the target area was just too large for the Charm to take hold.

"The original spell does work in that manner, Mr. Potter, but I added a small modification of my own," he replied modestly. "I'm not a fan of clutter, and since my Claws get so carried away with their studies that they forget to clean up after themselves, this way I still have a clean common room to walk into."

Harry was once again amazed by what Charms could be used to accomplish. From the training he received in the Chamber in his old world, he was more than adequate at the subject. He could easily pass his NEWTs with an Outstanding, but that's where his proficiency came to an end.

Unlike people such as Flitwick, the Hermione from his old world, and his mum, even with all his power he didn't have the skill required to be a true Master at the art. Charms was a subject that involved finesse at the Mastery level, and it was obvious it was something he would never be able to do.

That's not to say that he couldn't get a Mastery in the subject, he'd just never be the Charms Master that Flitwick was.

"Thank you again for agreeing to help with the Charm, Professor Flitwick," Harry said politely. "I promise to have everything in order before I contact you to cast it."

Flitwick nodded his head and replied, "You're quite welcome, Mr. Potter. I hope to see many good things come from this club of yours and I wish you and your fellow tutors luck in the new venture. Now, if there's nothing more for me to do here, I have papers that still need to be graded."

When the tiny Professor bid them farewell and left the Center in a hurry, the two Gryffindors found themselves amused by his animated departure. After sharing a brief moment of levity, the pair made their way to the leather couches in the sitting area, and took a seat across from one another.

"Now that your Study Center is ready to be used, Mr. Potter, I think we should talk about some security measures I would like to install."

Harry had some ideas of his own on the topic, but he was intrigued by what the Professor had in mind. "Of course, Professor. What would you like to do?"

"First, I have asked Professor Babbling to ward the entire Center for you. I understand you are financing many of the additions to the Center yourself, and I would like to safeguard your generous gifts as much as possible. Before you leave here I'll key you into the wards. Now, Professor Flitwick and I can help in an emergency, but as the head of this club it will be your responsibility to make sure the Center is opened and locked each evening. We realize you will need a way to be able to maintain authority with so many students present, so for the duration of this clubs existence you will be an acting Prefect while inside the Center. You, and you alone, may deduct points or issue detentions as you see fit. Do you believe you can manage this responsibility, Mr. Potter?"

Minerva waited for her cub to acknowledge that he understood his responsibility and when Harry did, she continued, "Second, I will have a rotating schedule of Prefects assigned to help you during the hours you will be open. Since this is a place designed for studying, it will most likely be fifth years, as they can benefit from being here for their OWLs. And third, no students are permitted to work in the Potions room, without one of the tutors or a Prefect present to watch over them."

Harry waited until he was sure the Professor was done, and then said, "I understand and accept all of your security measures, and the responsibilities that come with them, ma'am. They're all more than reasonable, but if you're interested, I do have some ideas of my own that I would like to add."

Minerva arched an eyebrow at her cub and replied, "Of course, Mr. Potter. After your last batch of surprises, I find myself wondering what you will come up with next."

When he heard the Professor give her consent, Harry pulled out his trunk from his pocket and quickly enlarged it. He opened the unlocked second compartment and retrieved the six shrunken full length mirrors he placed there last night.

As soon as he saw the questioning look appear in his Head of House's eyes, Harry explained, "Each of these have been spelled to act as two way communication mirror. I want to place one out here in the main room and one each in the Potions lab, the training room and the gym. The final two mirrors are for you and Professor Flitwick to keep in your office. Not only will this allow you to monitor all parts of the Center whenever you want, but we can use it to contact you if we need help from a teacher or you can use it to contact us if you need one of the students or the Prefect that is assigned for the day."

Harry had to force himself not to shake his head and grin, at the surprised look that appeared on McGonagall's face. In his former dimension Hermione would always tell him that Magicals lacked common sense. From his own experiences with the Wizarding world, he found it hard to refute that claim. The mirrors he suggested were just one example. He was surprised there weren't more of them available in the Magical world. They were easy to use, and acted as a magical version of a cell phone. His dad and uncle Moony even Charmed four mirrors to work back in their sixth year.

No matter how smart they were, if Hogwarts students were able to make something like that work, there should have been hundreds of adults capable of doing the same thing. Since the Magical world was too stupid to see the solution for themselves, Harry was more than willing to spoon feed them the answer for a price. Marauders Inc. was currently working on creating a system similar to the floo network for their new hand held "mirror phones". Once they got it working, he didn't doubt for a minute they would make the company a lot of money.

"That is an ingenious idea, Mr. Potter," McGonagall congratulated him proudly. "I would never have thought to use mirrors for this purpose, but these will go a long way towards easing my concerns over what goes on here. Is this your only idea, or do you have something else to recommend?"

Harry was simultaneously annoyed that McGonagall didn't already think of a simple solution like the mirrors to monitor the Center, and pleased to receive praise from one of his favorite teachers, regardless of the world he was in.

"I do have one more suggestion, ma'am," Harry replied.

"Then do tell, Mr. Potter. As the Yanks say, I'm all ears."

Harry couldn't help himself from smiling at the energetic and pleasant response he received from the Transfiguration teacher. This was a side of her he'd never seen before, and it made him realize that while he'd earned her respect as a person in his old world, he'd never actually done so as a student. The way the McGonagall of this dimension spoke to him and acted around him, he could tell this time around she saw him as someone worthy of listening to. It was a realization that made his heart swell with pride.

"While I think your measures for the Potions lab are something we should definitely do, I would also like to add a runic shield array to each workstation. Most Potions Masters use them for their own stations, and they work via a preset password that is voice activated. In the event a potion is about to go horribly wrong, the student can say the password outloud and a shield will form around the Cauldron preventing anyone from being harmed."

McGonagall was stunned when she heard about the shield array and curious as to why something like this wasn't already being used at Hogwarts. She took the safety of her students very seriously, and with the daily potions accidents she read about in her reports from Madam Pomfrey, this could drastically cut down on the number of injuries that occurred.

"If something like this exists, Mr. Potter, why don't we have these shield arrays at Hogwarts?"

"The arrays have a limited shelf life, Professor," Harry answered. "Not only do they degrade every time they're used, but they only last for six weeks and can't be recharged. You would have to physically replace them at each workstation every few weeks. The time and money required would be too expensive for a large school like Hogwarts, but it would be cost effective for a Potions Master trying to make a living."

"If that's the case, how do you plan on making it work? Wouldn't the expense be the same for you?"

"Not quite, ma'am," Harry replied with a smug grin. "While incredibly time consuming, the shield arrays are actually pretty easy to make. I'm more than capable of replenishing them for the dozen workstations we have in the lab. If Professor Babbling is willing to look over my work, as long as I complete the labor portion of the job myself, it should only take her a few minutes every six weeks to monitor me as I install them."

McGonagall didn't know what to say. The stern Transfiguration Professor was once again shocked by her brilliant cub's knowledge and ability. It was a measure of how much faith she had in him, that not for one second did she doubt he was capable of creating the arrays he mentioned.

"Very well, Mr. Potter. It seems as if the P.A.L. Study Center is now ready for business."

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," Harry replied with a happy grin. "I promise I won't let you down, ma'am."

* * *

As he stared at the mountain of food that was spread across the Gryffindor table, Harry found himself finally able to relax. The day had been a strenuous one for him, and he was thankful that everything was different this time around.

Much like his old world, the day began the same way in this one. In Charms class Hermione tried to help Ron with the levitation spell and once again the useless git insulted her for her efforts. Luckily the confident and happy Hermione of this world, laughed off his insults and walked away without giving him another thought.

Despite her actions, by the time he was certain the brunette Ravenclaw was no longer in danger of wasting her time crying in the girl's bathroom, half the day had gone by and Harry was tired from having to monitor her in secret. He'd used his Shadow Walk ability to look in on her in between classes, and the constant strain had taken a toll on his young body.

As soon as he came to the conclusion that Hermione would be okay, Harry was finally able to turn his attention to his god brother. He was expecting the boy to react to the day the same way he had in his old world, and he was surprised to find that it wasn't true.

While there was no doubt that Neville missed and mourned the loss of his parents, he didn't act as morose as Harry did on the same day. Growing up with his Gran taught his god brother how to be proud of the sacrifice his parents made to save the Wizarding world, and he didn't spend his time sulking throughout the day. It was definitely a startling experience for Harry to see, and a part of him wished there had been someone around who would have done the same thing for him.

Harry looked up to see his girls at the Ravenclaw table laughing and enjoying the feast with their peers. Beside him Neville was doing the same with Seamus, Ron and the twins, and that's when Harry realized he was the only one in the Great Hall that wasn't partaking in the feast. He was still acting like he did in his old world, and for the first time in his life it occurred to him that he didn't need to be afraid of this day anymore.

In that moment he finally accepted that this day no longer needed to be a painful one for him.

In his new world he had parents that loved him, and siblings that adored him. The pain and suffering that once marked this day for him, no longer applied to his new life. For the first time since he learned of his parent's death, Harry finally allowed himself to enjoy the celebration of Voldemort's defeat with everyone else.

With a smile on his face, and not a care in the world Harry heartily attacked the meal that was in front of him. He could see that all the students were present in the Hall, and if Quirrelmort released a troll this time around as well, he would just sit back and let the teachers take care of it. Once he stopped worrying about being the suffering hero from his past, Harry joined in on the fun and banter that surrounded him.

* * *

Thomas Marvolo Riddle, or Lord Voldemort as he now liked to be called, walked down the Hogwarts hallway in disgust. After taking over possession of Quirrell's body he learned his servant's core was more pathetic than he could have imagined. The lack of power was forcing him to draw upon his own magical reserves to control the troll that was behind him, and it annoyed him to feel the drain this was causing.

It was his intention to release the troll near the Gryffindor common room, and while he used the distraction to steal the stone, he hoped the mindless beast would leave its mark on the foolhardy Lions. Even after all these years, the Slytherin in him detested the House of red and gold, and it would please him to know his actions robbed the lives of McGonagall's precious cubs.

Midway through the hallway, Voldemort stopped when he heard the sound of a snake hissing nearby. He cautiously approached the noise, and smiled when he saw the three headed snake in the portrait in front of him.

The Runespoor was part of a spell he created while he was in his sixth year at Hogwarts. As a known muggle born in the Snake pit, he had to constantly be on guard to protect himself from the assaults engineered by his Pureblood Housemates. In need of information to help him avoid the traps they set for him, Voldemort created a spell that added the snake to a portrait he hid on the seventh floor.

The spell not only allowed the snake to travel through all the portraits in the Castle, he made sure it couldn't be seen or heard by anyone but him. The Runespoor or Custos as he liked to call him, lived up to his name. Latin for spy, Custos overheard conversations from all across the Castle and relayed that information to him every night. Never again did Lord Voldemort suffer through the assaults of those who were beneath him. The knowledge he learned from Custos allowed him to blackmail or threaten enough people that he was finally able to lay claim to his rightful place as the Prince of Slytherin.

Since his return to Hogwarts, he once again reconnected with his faithful servant and used him to spy on the Boy-Who-Lived and gather information from throughout the Castle.

_"Massster, it isss you. I have done asss you asssked and sssearched the Cassstle."_

_"What newsss do you bring for me tonight?"_

_"Except for three girlsss, the Cassstle is clear, my Lord. The ressst are in the large hall with food."_

_"Who are thessse girlsss Cussstosss? Are they from the Houssse of Ssslytherin?"_

_"No Massster. They are from the Houssse of feathersss. They are the onesss that are alwaysss with the boy you asssk me to follow."_

Voldemort felt himself smile at the news. The mudblood and the two blood traitors were even a better target than the pathetic Gryffindors he originally planned to attack. The Longbottom boy spent the majority of his time around those three, and nothing would please him more than to cause the brat that defeated him to feel the pain of their loss. If fortune decided to favor him this night, perhaps the Boy-Who-Lived would meet up with them and perish along with his friends.

_"Where are they right now, Cussstosss?"_

_"They are in the girlsss bathroom on the firssst floor, Massster."_

_"Very good my pet. You have done well tonight. Go back to your work and find me if you learn of sssomething important."_

_"Yesss, Massster."_

Now that he no longer had to lead the mountain troll to the Gryffindor Tower on the seventh floor, Voldemort didn't see the need to continue to waste his magical reserves by possessing Quirrell and controlling the troll.

Voldemort pointed his wand at the troll's head and used parselmouth to hiss one of his favorite spells. "_Imperio_."

It took a moment for the beast's eyes to glaze over, but when they did, Voldemort gave the troll his orders in its native guttural language. "**You will go down to the first floor bathroom and kill the girls that you find there. Even if it requires your death, you will not stop until the job is done. Do you understand what you have to do?**"

When he saw the troll nod his head in answer, Voldemort smiled. Normally an Imperio, even if it was done in Parselmouth, couldn't force a human victim to do something that would kill themselves. Luckily the same couldn't be said for a troll. While a normal Imperio wouldn't work on them, when done in Parselmouth, Voldemort found they would do anything they were commanded to do. Even if it meant dying in the process. He was incredibly pleased when he made this discovery years ago, and found it to be quite the useful tool for him during the war.

"**Good,**" he replied in the same guttural speech. "**Should you live through that mission, I command you to kill and destroy everything in your path for as long as you live. Now go and hurry to the first floor.**"

As soon as he saw the troll leave the hallway, Voldemort slowly released control of the body back to his servant. He knew he would need to conserve his magical reserves for the traps the old man must have placed around the stone, and gladly allowed Quirrell to take back the body and act the fool while informing the Great Hall of the beast's presence. Once the adults were busy running around trying to find the troll, he could finally take the stone and make his return to the world of the living.

* * *

Harry was laughing and having fun with his fellow Gryffindors, finally acting like the kid he was supposed to be. He was so engrossed in the conversation he was having about Quidditch, he didn't even care that the majority of it was with Ronald Weasley. For too long he'd spent moping around on this day, and now that he was actually celebrating it, he could see why students looked forward to this feast every year. It was at that moment that the door to Great Hall was flung open and Quirrell came running in.

"TROLL,THERE'S A TROLL IN THE DUNGEON," he screamed at the gathered students and teachers. "J-j-just thought you should know."

When the DADA teacher fainted in front of the student body, the entire hall fell silent for a fraction of a second. Then the screams suddenly shot up from every table and the Great Hall erupted into pandemonium. Several students began running towards the exit, and many of them would have made it through if Dumbledore hadn't taken command of the situation.

"SILENCE," Albus roared to bring an end to the chaos. "Everyone will calm down right now. Prefects, take a headcount of the students at your tables and then make your way to your common rooms. Teachers, please come with me to the dungeons."

While the rest of the hall was busy following the headmaster's instructions, Harry was frantically searching for the girls. His frustrations began to build with each passing moment that he couldn't find them, but the chaos in the hall made it difficult to determine where the three Ravenclaws were hiding.

Finally realizing he had another way to look for them, Harry pulled out the Marauders Map from the moleskin bag on his hip and activated it. His eyes quickly scanned through the list of names that were in the hall, but he still couldn't find any of the girls. It wasn't until he moved the search to other parts of the Castle, did he find the trio in the girls' bathroom on the first floor. Unfortunately from what he could see on the map, the troll was already on the same floor with them.

When his fellow Gryffindors began to follow Percy and the other Prefects out of the Great Hall, Harry quickly moved to join them. Once he was outside, he broke apart from the group and rushed towards an area where he could see a shadow. Before he could use his ability to go to the girls, he suddenly felt someone grab him from behind.

"Harry, mate, where are you going?," Neville asked him.

Harry saw the concerned look on his god brother's face, and knew he wouldn't let him go without a reason. Not wanting to take the time to come up with a lie, he decided to tell him the truth.

"It's the girls, Nev," Harry answered in a rush. "They weren't in the Great Hall when Quirrell came running in. I checked on the map and found them in the girls' bathroom on the first floor. The trolls already headed towards them, Nev."

"Then I'm coming with you, Harry."

Not wanting to waste time arguing, Harry reluctantly answered, "Fine. But keep your questions to yourself for now. I'll explain things to you later tonight."

Before his god brother could even think to countermand his order, Harry touched his arm and activated his Shadow Walk ability. The pair instantly disappeared in the cold grip of darkness that enveloped them and Neville was stunned when they suddenly reappeared right outside of the girl's bathroom.

Harry didn't bother with any formalities like knocking and immediately rushed through the door. Thankfully when he entered he saw that Daphne and Alex were talking excitedly behind Hermione, while the brunette Ravenclaw was busy washing her hands at the sink.

"Why the hell did you guys leave the Great Hall?," Harry asked, barely managing to contain his fury at the situation. "You know what, nevermind. Don't answer that. Let's just get out here as fast as we can."

The trio of girls just stared at him like he had two heads and was speaking in an animal language. Suddenly Hermione snapped out of her shock and screamed, "HARRY JAMES POTTER, THIS IS THE GIRL'S LAVATORY. WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?"

Before he could answer the question, the troll made its presence known to the group. The door to the bathroom was hit by a powerful strike from the troll's club and it blew off its hinges and slammed into the sink nearest the door. The impact destroyed the porcelain basin and suddenly water erupted all around the bent pipe.

At this point Harry gently pushed the girls further behind him, and made his stand with his god brother at his side. As he watched the humungous mountain troll make its way towards them, he could almost see the beast frothing at the mouth. Harry wasn't sure how he knew it, but he was positive this troll was going to be far worse than the one from his old world.

Harry raced through various options in his mind and he chose the one that would hopefully mean his friends wouldn't have to get involved in the fight. Turning to his god brother he said, "I've got an idea, Nev, but I need you to stay back and look after the girls."

When he saw the hesitant nod come from the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry shifted into Altor and rushed towards the approaching beast. He ducked between the trolls legs and in a blinding fast maneuver struck the beast's hamstring with his claws.

Harry was momentarily startled by the cries of pain that erupted from the troll's mouth, and he barely managed to jump away from the club that it swung downward towards him in retaliation. The floor cracked under the massive club's assault, and while the beast was slightly bent from the strike, Harry flung himself onto its body.

Altor's powerful jaws sunk into the beast's neck, but before Harry could think to rip the troll's throat out, he felt the beast move with a speed he didn't think it was capable of. Suddenly a massive hand grabbed him by the top of his mane, and he found himself flying through the air, as the troll hurled him back towards his stunned friends.

Harry felt his body groan from his impact with the bathroom floor, and when he forced himself to his feet, he realized he wouldn't be able to beat the troll in his Animagus form. Once he decided to move on to plan B, Harry shifted back into his normal body and moved to stand next to his slightly in awe god brother.

"Hey, Nev?"

"Yeah, Harry?"

"Do you remember the training we've been doing with chain spells?"

"Yeah I do, Harry. Why?"

"We're going to attack him in a staggered approach, Nev. First me, then you. We'll keep alternating and hitting him with spells until we push him back to the far wall. Then I'll bring the ceiling down on the bastard."

"Sounds like a good plan, mate. Let's do it."

"Nev?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't hold back. If it comes down to us or it, I'd rather we were the ones that came out of this alive."

Once he was certain Neville was ready for the upcoming fight, Harry initiated the attack with his first chain spell. "_Sectumsempra, Lacero, Expulso, Defodio_."

Neville saw his god brother finish his chain and immediately struck with one of his own. "_Reducto, Bombarda, Slashio, Confringo_."

Harry knew that trolls, especially the mountain variety, had a high resistance to magic. But even they would be hard pressed continue attacking with a steady stream of blasting and cutting spells being sent their way. When he saw that their spells were slowly pushing the massive creature back, Harry poured even more of his power into each spell. "_Confringo, Diffindo, Defodio, Bombarda._"

Neville immediately continued the assault with another chain of his own. "_Stupify, Diffindo, Incendio, Confundo._"

The powerful spells managed to push the beast back to the far wall of the bathroom. At this point Harry released the chain he wanted to use. It was no where near as powerful as the spell chains he and Nev had already been throwing at the troll, but it was the perfect chain for the plan he had in mind.

"_Impedimenta, Obscuro, Locomotor Mortis, Aguamenti, Glacius Maximus._"

The chain he'd been saving did exactly what he wanted him to. The Impedimenta stopped the troll's forward momentum, as it tried to push itself off the wall and come towards them. The Obscuro made the beast momentarily blind, while the Locomotor Mortis locked his legs up, and caused the troll to fall to its knees. It was at this point that the final two spell came into play. The Aguamenti spell shot water out of his wand, but since Harry had overpowered it, it was more than enough to drench the troll completely. The Glacius Maximus was a high level freezing spell that used the effects from the previous spell to partially freeze the monster trying to attack them.

Despite the success of their attack, Harry knew the troll was far from being beaten. Even now it was fighting against the ice that had formed around its body, and once it broke free, he had no doubt that it would rush them immediately. While he was more than able to continue launching spells at the troll, Harry knew Neville was quickly reaching the limits of his eleven year old body.

When he saw the ice begin to crack around the monster's skin, Harry prayed to Merlin he was doing the right thing. He quickly pointed his wand at the ceiling directly over the troll and launched an over-powered Bombarda at it. The blast from the spell was a lot stronger than Harry imagined and nearly a quarter of the ceiling came crashing down on the beast, finally knocking him out of the fight.

The two boys panted softly, as they both admired their handiwork. It was at this moment that the teachers came barging into the destroyed bathroom. As soon as Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, McGonagall and Dumbledore came in, they all looked at the destroyed bathroom and unconscious troll in shock and awe.

"Mr. Potter, what in Merlin's name is going on here?," McGonagall asked her cub.

"My apologies, Professor, but when Professor Quirrell told everyone in the Great Hall that there was a troll loose in the school, Daphne, Alex and Hermione were not present. One of their fellow Ravenclaws told me they went to the restroom, so Neville and I rushed here to warn them."

Daphne and Alex looked at each other in surprise when they heard Harry's response. They knew for a fact that no one knew they were supposed to be here, because it was a spur of the moment decision. Their actual destination had been the library so Daphne could pick up the book she'd left there before the feast started. As they both turned their attention back towards the Professor, they first silently agreed to have a nice long conversation with their betrothed. They both suspected he must have found them by the Marauders Map, but it didn't hurt to verify their theory. Besides, after the night's revelations, he had a lot of things to explain to them.

As he watched the two exhausted first years, Albus didn't know whether he should be elated that his weapon survived this disaster or furious that he had the skill to do so. With each passing day it was becoming harder to find a way to gain control of the Boy-Who-Lived and this event would only boost the brat's confidence.

"How were the two of you able to accomplish this, Mr. Potter?," Albus asked in his kind grandfather voice.

Harry had to force himself not to glare at the manipulative headbastard and in a calm, even voice he replied with only half of the truth, "We used a staggered approach and kept a steady stream of spells on the troll. Once we managed to push it to the far wall, I used an Aguamenti combined with a Glacius Maximus spell to temporarily freeze the troll. That's when I hit the ceiling with a Bombarda and buried him under the rubble."

Snape stared at his most hated enemy's son, and found himself curious at how powerful the boy really was. Not only were the spells he fired supposed to be too advanced for someone his age, the strategy the boys used should not have been known to any Hogwarts student, regardless of the year they were in.

"How exactly did you know about the staggered approach with spell fire, Mr. Potter?," Snape asked curiously.

"My father and godfather are two of the finest Aurors in the DMLE, Professor. Short of "Mad-eye" Moody himself, I don't know anyone that's better in a fight amongst the remaining Aurors at the Ministry. Growing up I've heard countless stories of the training they received, or when they caught a Dark Wizard during work. That strategy was something I heard them mention once, and I thought it was fitting for what we needed to do today."

It was at this point that McGonagall had enough. She could see that her cubs were obviously exhausted, and she wasn't about to let the other teachers spend more time interrogating them for no reason. The pair were not responsible for the attack, and she was extremely proud of the courage and bravery they showed to rescue their friends. It may have defied the orders the headmaster had given in the Great Hall, but she was willing to overlook it in light of the reasons behind said actions.

"Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Potter," she said in a proud and commanding voice. "By the courage and bravery you have shown here tonight, it is obvious that you are both a credit to your House. I award you 50 points apiece for saving the lives of your friends."

When she saw the pair begin to blush furiously at her praise, she was happy their reaction hadn't been one of arrogance. Most students and adults would be bragging about their victory, but her cubs seemed to want to avoid the limelight as much as possible.

"I believe you have all had enough excitement for one night," she said knowingly. "Unless any of you require the services of Madam Pomfrey, I suggest you all to head back to your common rooms now."

"Would it be okay for Neville and I to escort the girls to their common room, Professor?," Harry asked hesitantly.

When he saw the stern teacher nod her head in approval, he suddenly felt Daphne and Alex each grab one of his hands with their own and pull him out of the destroyed bathroom. As soon as the couple was far enough away from the teachers he looked over and saw the furious looks on the faces of both of his fiance.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Mr. Potter," Daphne whispered into his ear.

Before he could even think to respond, he heard Alex's voice whisper from his other side, "And if you know what's good for you, Mr. Potter, you will answer all of the questions that we have for you."

As he felt himself being dragged towards the Ravenclaw Tower, Harry tried not to worry about the upcoming conversation. After all, he was Harry James Potter. Death's Champion. The Defeater of Voldemort. The Destroyer of Death Eaters. And the Slayer of Basiliks. He would survive whatever the girls had in mind. At least that's what he kept telling himself over and over again.


	15. Two Parts Truth to One Part Lie

**Chapter 15: Two Parts Truth to One Part Lie**

Harry opened the door to his private suite and quickly made his way inside. His body barely followed his commands on the walk over here, and now that he was home, it yearned to find rest in the sweet embrace of sleep. Unfortunately as tired as he felt after the fight with the troll, Harry knew he couldn't go to sleep just yet.

With the looming conversation with the girls and Neville still fresh in his mind, he thought it best to determine what things he should reveal to them tomorrow. He spent the next several hours sitting at his dining room table thinking up every possible question his friends could ask him, and what lie he would give in response.

A large part of him felt bad for having to lie to them, but he knew he really didn't have a choice in the matter. Hermione had absolutely no idea on how to shield her mind against invasion and even with the brief Occlumency training Daphne, Alex and Neville received as purebloods, it wasn't enough for them to safely hold on to his secrets.

Over the past few weeks he'd already felt Snape push against his mental barriers a few times and since the greasy git wasn't able to get any information out of him, he knew it was only a matter of time before he targeted his friends to learn what they knew. As much as he would like to be honest with his friends and family, Harry couldn't risk the headmaster learning too much about him in this new world. At least not yet.

Soon the fatigue Harry was feeling began to overwhelm him, and his eyes closed of their own volition. It was then that Harry suddenly found himself in an empty room within his mindscape. When he turned around to gain his bearings, he was expecting to see Lady Death, but instead found a gorgeous blonde hair blue eyed woman staring back at him.

"You aren't Death," Harry stated to the beautiful woman in front of him.

"Oh no, my dear," the blonde replied with a smirk. "I'm most definitely not my sister. She's much too stuffy to be me."

At the mention of the relationship the blonde shared with his boss, Harry instantly realized who his mystery visitor was. Bowing his body slightly at the waist, he politely said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Fate. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"Must we be so formal, Mr. Potter?," the blonde haired beauty asked with a pout. "Please call me Fate."

"As you wish, Fate," Harry replied with a flash his famous Potter smile. "And please call me Harry."

Harry was surprised by how excited Fate was by his response and he found himself suddenly curious as to the purpose of this meeting. "If you don't mind me asking, Fate, but what exactly are we doing here?"

Fate snapped her fingers and suddenly a beautiful white couch appeared next to her. She sat down at one end and motioned Harry towards the other. "Please have a seat, Harry. I just want to have a chat with you and there's no reason for us to remain standing the entire time."

While he couldn't feel his body's fatigue in his mindscape, Harry saw no reason why he should stand on his feet for the conversation, so he shrugged his shoulders and took his seat on the other end of the sofa.

"So...what can I do for you, Fate?"

Fate stared at the green eyed Wizard in front of her, and she couldn't help but smile at his question. In the thousands of years she had watched over the destinies of mankind, she rarely found any who were worthy of attention from higher beings such as herself. Of the handful of mortals that somehow managed to amuse her over the years, the boy in front of her was the one she had the highest hopes for. He was bold, daring, courageous, honorable and smart. She had no doubt he epitomized all the virtues the Creator was thinking about when he first placed humans on the Earth.

"I was being serious, Harry," she replied happily. "I'm just here for a chat. By recommending you to my sister, in a way I too am responsible for you being in this new world. I was just curious as to how you were adapting to it. After all, it's not every day that I help someone traverse between realities. There are all sorts of rules against it you know."

"Oh, I see," Harry lied, not sure what she was talking about. "What would you like to know?"

"How are you liking this new world so far?"

When he thought about his parents, his siblings, his friends at Hogwarts, and how happy Sirius and Remus were in this world, Harry couldn't help but smile at the images that popped into his mind. The life he had now was beyond anything he ever dreamed of while sleeping in his old cupboard and he would fight a thousand Voldemorts if it meant he could be with his loved ones forever.

"It's brilliant, Fate," Harry replied with a happy smile. "Mum and dad are exactly how I imagined them to be when I was growing up and Rose, Violet and Daniel are the best siblings anyone could hope for. Sirius and Remus look happier than I've ever seen them in my old life, and minus the small problem with the troll, even things with the girls have been picking up lately. Overall, everything in this world is perfect. I doubt if I took the happiest day I had in my old world, that it would be able to compare to just an okay day in this one."

Fate was happy to hear that Harry was enjoying his time in the new world. She'd seen dozens of his counterparts choose to become the next Dark Lord, and after his upbringing, she truly feared seeing the same choice from him. Unlike the Harrys from the other worlds, the one in front of her was special. He was a Nexus.

A Nexus was a man or woman born every few centuries, and their very presence could change or alter the destiny of everyone around them. Many higher beings often speculated that this particular ability must have been bestowed upon these individuals from the Creator himself, because none of them would dare to let a mortal have such power.

From her own experience in dealing with such individuals, Fate knew that if a Nexus as powerful as Harry ever turned evil, she didn't doubt for a moment that he would be an opponent far worse than the Voldemort he'd been recruited to defeat. The fact that her sister's Champion was a Nexus as well a Child of Prophecy, simply made him the most interesting mortal she'd seen in 2000 years.

"That's great to hear, Harry," Fate said with a warm smile. "After everything you have suffered in your young life, I'm glad that you have finally found some happiness of your own. If ever there was someone who deserved a life of bliss, I have know doubt that it would be you, kiddo."

When she saw Harry begin to turn red from her praise, Fate was amused that a simple compliment would resonate so powerfully with the young Wizard. She allowed herself a few more moments to enjoy his discomfort, and then decided to take pity on the boy.

"What problems are you facing after the troll, Harry?," she asked curiously.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and said, "I messed up, Fate. I was so sure that I covered all my bases, I allowed myself to let my guard down at the feast. I was so busy having fun with the other Gryffindors, that in my arrogance I assumed everyone would be safe from Quirrell's distraction, and the girls almost paid for my mistake. As it is, in the process of going to rescue them, not only did Neville see me Shadow Walk, but all my friends saw my Animagus form."

"So? What's the problem?"

"What's the problem?," Harry asked in surprise. "They know about my abilities, Fate. Do you want me to tell them the truth about my past? That I'm your sister's Champion in this world? I thought you guys would frown upon me sharing that kind of information with someone else."

"While being an Animagus is rare, and a Shadow Mage even more so, neither ability has anything to do with your old world, Harry. These abilities are just a part of your magic now, and should you want to share that with your friends I assure you none of us will have a problem with it."

Harry was stunned to hear the news, but he was still apprehensive with sharing his secrets with his friends.

"I'm still not sure if I should do it, Fate," Harry said softly, his voice tinged with a bit of sadness. "I want to tell my friends and family the truth, but I'm worried how much longer Snape and Dumbledore will wait before they start using Legilimency on the people who are closest to me. If the headmaster even has inkling of what I'm really capable of, I know he won't stop until he learns everything he can from me."

"Stop being such a drama Queen, Harry," Fate replied with a smirk. "Your problems are simple enough to deal with. First, there is absolutely no way you can tell anyone that you're from another world, so stop worrying about it. When my sister transferred you into this body, she placed a block around you that prevents you from speaking about your real past to anyone who doesn't already know about it. Since no one in this world is aware of that information, your secret is perfectly safe from everyone. Dumbledore and Snape can give you potions all day and attack your mind until the two of them are blue in the face, but nothing short of a higher being can ever release that information from where it's stored in your mind."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief at the new piece of information he just learned. Since his Hogwarts letter arrived at Potter Manor, he worried about the headmaster learning of his old world. While he was without a doubt a Master Occlumence, Harry knew that with enough time every mental shield could be broken. He shuddered to think what someone like Dumbledore would do with the future knowledge he would have at his disposal.

When he heard Fate begin to speak again, Harry tore himself away from his musings, and returned his attention to the gorgeous higher being that was in front of him.

"As far as your friends and family go, Harry," Fate continued with a mock glare towards him. "You and I both know that there is a way to protect their minds, until you can teach them how to do it on their own."

Harry winced when he heard the solution he'd just been given. He spent so long convincing himself that his friends needed to be Oliviated for their own good, that he never once thought of alternative ways they could protect their minds. That's when he realized a part of him didn't want to tell anyone anything about his abilities.

"Is it wrong that I don't want to tell anyone about my powers? For once in my life I just want to be normal."

Fate arched her eyebrow, amused by his statement. "You call being a genius double Lord worth hundreds of millions of galleons, normal?"

Harry rolled his eyes at her mocking tone and snarked back, "Compared to being the Boy-Who-Lived and the The Chosen One, what I am in this world is normal enough. It's just if everyone starts knowing about my Animagus ability or that I'm a Shadow Mage or even how powerful I really am, things won't be the same anymore. I know for a fact they will all look at me differently and I don't want that to happen in this world too. I just want to be Harry."

Fate watched as Harry's shoulders slumped in defeat, and she could sense his fear of becoming famous again. After the events that occurred in his past life, it was something she knew he had to get over and she planned to help him do just that today.

"What is this obsession you have with being normal, Harry?," Fate asked him angrily. "The entire world dreams of being someone important, and here you are complaining about how much you hate your power and fame. Let me tell you something, kiddo, you'll never be normal. There are a few people in this world that are touched by a higher power and you are one of them. Last time you ran away from the fame and the power, and others were able to use your words and inaction against you. You really need to get over your fear of being in the limelight, kiddo. Embrace it, and you can use it to make a real difference in the world. Most people are just sheeps, Harry, and they're all looking for someone to follow. If you won't be that person for them, then they will just listen to someone else. And sometimes, Harry, that person can lead them all to their deaths. Just look at Voldemort and Dumbledore if you want an example."

As he thought about what Fate just said, Harry hated the logic he heard behind her words. He didn't want anyone to follow him and he sure as hell didn't want to become their hero again. He was more than willing to kill Voldemort and let Neville or anyone else claim the victory. All he wanted to do was live a happy life with his friends and family, but it seemed that would never be a real option for him.

Sometimes you have a choice between what's easy and what's right, and Harry had never taken the easy route before in his life. He didn't want to become a leader, but if Fate was right, his failure to give people another option to follow would most likely lead to their deaths. He'd lived through the destruction the second war caused in his old world, and he refused to let it happen again in this one.

Once his decision was made, for the first time in his life Harry was okay with using his fame and money to his advantage. He might not like doing it, but if it would help make the Wizarding world a better place, than he didn't see another way around it.

"You're right, Fate," he replied with confidence. "I will never be normal. I may not like it too much, but it seems I really don't have a choice in the matter. If that's truly my lot in life, than all I can do is use my fame to help make a difference."

Fate smiled when she heard his response. "In that case I'm glad to be of service to you, Harry."

The pair sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes and during that time a stray thought popped into Harry's head. He intended to ask Death about it the next time he saw her, but with Fate present now he saw no reason to wait.

"Fate?"

"Yes dear?"

"Why am I really here?"

Fate was confused by the question. She thought she had explained her reasons thoroughly already.

"I wasn't lying to you earlier, Harry," she answered. "I really brought you here to have a chat. You're one of the few mortals that has caught my attention over these long centuries, and I wanted to have a chance to speak with you. I know that technically you're my sister's Champion, but since I helped her find you I don't think she would begrudge me a single meeting."

"I believe you about our conversation today, my Lady," Harry replied quickly. "My question was in regards to this new world. At first I thought I was here to fight because the Boy-Who-Lived wasn't capable of doing so, but that theory went out the window very fast. From what I've seen of Neville so far, he's powerful. And I mean really powerful. His knowledge is probably between a 3rd or 4th year right now, but during our sparring sessions I've taught him some new spells and he's more than capable of doing some low level Auror chains. Frankly, he's a lot better Boy-Who-Lived than I ever was."

As she watched his mesmerizing green eyes staring back at her, Fate understood Harry's concerns, but she also knew why they weren't valid.

"You are correct that he is powerful, Harry," she replied knowingly. "In fact, had this been any other Voldemort he was facing, he would not need your help to claim his victory. But Neville is not a better Boy-Who-Lived than you, kiddo. You had to overcome many obstacles along the way to your victory. Had you grown up with Sirius and trained as you were meant to, your knowledge and power would have been just like his is right now. Don't forget...with a malnourished body and a block upon your magical core, you still cast a Patronus strong enough to drive off a hundred Dementors. And you did that as a third year."

"So if he's as powerful as I should have been in my old world, will he gain a special ability too?," Harry asked, his voice laced with hope and excitement.

Fate shook her head before saying, "No, Harry. While he will become very powerful after his Magical Maturity, he still won't have an MPI high enough to gain a new ability. The only reason you were able to do so, was because I allowed you to merge your counterpart's entire core with your own. As it is, you are weaker than any of the Shadow Mages that came before you."

Harry contemplated this new information, and his mind quickly began doing the necessary math in his head. The Goblin Healer that removed the block on his old core told him that if it never had been placed, after his maturity he would have had an MPI between 260-270. Since the Neville of this world was supposed to be as strong as he would have been in his old one, he could safely assume his god brother would be that powerful in a few years.

When his attention turned to his own combined core, for the first time since his arrival in the new world Harry calculated what his potential MPI could be and he was stunned to find that it would register somewhere around 445! If Voldemort was supposed to have three cores in his new body, how powerful would snake face be?

"MERLIN'S BALLS, Fate," Harry exclaimed loudly. "How powerful will Voldemort be in this world?"

Fate sighed when she heard the question. After the nice conversation they were having, she was hoping to avoid the Voldemort issue, but she should have known better than to expect that.

"Both of the followers who gave up their magic to him were above average in their power," Fate answered. "Once their cores are combined with Voldemort's, in his new body he should have an MPI of 635."

Harry felt his jaw drop at the news. How was he supposed to fight against someone that powerful? Even with his Shadow Mage ability, Fate just told him he was the weakest of the lot. How could the weakest Shadow Mage in history hope to defeat someone as strong as Merlin?

"How am I supposed to beat him, Fate?," Harry asked the higher being. "The man's going to be as powerful as Merlin."

Fate rolled her eyes and replied, "He's not as powerful as Merlin, Harry. It always amuses me when mortals compare other Magicals to him. When I first heard people call Dumbledore the next Merlin, I laughed so hard that I cried for an hour. Wizards and Witches today can't even begin to come close to their Magical ancestors. And their ancestors still paled in comparison to the Prince of Enchanters."

"So what was Merlin's MPI?," Harry asked curiously.

"Merlin had an MPI of 1095," Fate replied with a smug smile.

"WHAT?!"

Despite the fact that she was a higher being, even Fate had to wince at Harry's loud reaction to the news. When she saw the young Wizard trying frantically to wrap his head around that type of power she just described, she decided a little explanation would be necessary.

"During the time of Merlin and later the Founders, Wizards and Witches were quite powerful with their Magic," Fate explained. "The Hogwarts four were actually registered as being around the low 700s in their strength. The strongest Magicals in the world today, would be nothing but children when compared to their ancestors. Unfortunately blood supremacy and inbreeding have diluted the blood of Magicals throughout the world and with each progressive generation the Magical ability has declined steadily in all the families. At the rate things are going, in four or five hundred years Magical Britain could come to an end."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not only was he in awe of how powerful Magicals were in the past, he was also afraid of what the future held for his kind. If Fate was right, unless they made a big change now, his great great grandchildren might never get a chance to experience what it means to be a Witch or a Wizard.

"How are we supposed to beat him, Fate?"

Fate shrugged her shoulders and replied, "That's up to you, kiddo. I know the deck is stacked against you, but when has that ever stopped you from doing what needs to be done. You're a resourceful young man, Harry, just don't make the same mistakes you made in your old world. If you use every advantage you have at your disposal, you just might have enough to have your cake and eat it too."

As she watched the worry and fear melt away from Harry's body, and become replaced with grim determination, Fate knew the young man before her would always do the right thing. No matter the odds that were against him, she didn't doubt for a moment that he would fight until he won. It was something she had come to expect from the young Nexus.

"It seems our time together has come to an end, Harry. I doubt we'll ever see each other again, so I wanted to leave you with a warning...Do not become complacent with the events from your past. Despite the similarities this world has to your own, it also has many differences. If you fail to find out what they are, you will lose."

Harry was instantly alarmed to hear Fate's warning, but before he could ask her what she meant he felt a blast of Magic appear around the higher being, and suddenly she was gone from his mindscape.

"That went well," he muttered softly to himself.

* * *

As soon as Fate left Harry's mindscape and entered into her own realm, she immediately felt a presence appear behind her. When she turned around to see who it was, she recognized the beautiful red hair and stunning green eyes that belonged to her sister...Magic.

"Hello, Magic," Fate greeted the redheaded beauty. "I take it you're here to learn about my conversation with the Nexus?"

Magic eagerly nodded her head at her sister and replied, "Of course I am, Fate. I just want to know why you and Death seem to care for this mortal so much. It's not like we haven't seen billions of his kind over the years."

"It went well, sister," Fate replied, not believing a word the redhead just said. "He was everything I expected him to be. To be honest, I quite enjoyed our conversation together. As far as I'm concerned he is a fitting Champion for our sister and I have little doubt that he will be able to defeat Voldemort once again."

"That's excellent news, Fate," Magic said with a warm smile. "Hopefully our sister won't have to deal with the threat from this mortal for too much longer."

As she watched her sister grinning happily in front of her, Fate was confused with her sudden interest in Harry. She knew why she liked the young Wizard, and it was obvious why Death cared for him, but Magic's involvement still left her bewildered. Her sister never once showed any interest in Harry on his old world, and she found it curious that she did so now.

"Why the sudden interest in the Nexus, Magic? You never seemed to care about him before. Considering how important he appears to be to you now, I find it curious that you're so adamant that Death and I not tell him the truth about the Hallows."

"He gave up his right to the Hallows willingly, Fate" Magic replied, her green eyes suddenly glaring at her blonde sister. "He no longer needs to know anything about them."

Fate arched a perfectly manicured eyebrow at the response. "Oh really? Why exactly shouldn't he know that the Elder wand and the Resurrection Stone were placed inside his body the moment he arrived in the new world? You've seen the threat that Voldemort is to our sister, and yet you still ask us to withhold this information. Should that foolish Dark Lord gain access to her power, Magic, I assure you he will wage a war within our realm the likes of which we haven't been seen since the Elder Gods fought eons ago. Harry could use the power of the Hallows to defeat him."

When her sister refused to answer, Fate grinned and continued, "The deal Death made with the Peverell brothers explicitly states that she can never take back her gifts from them or their descendants. While he willingly gave up his title as the Master of Death, Harry still has access to all three Hallows. Why keep him ignorant of that knowledge? From his previous actions we already know he won't abuse the power."

Magic stared angrily at her sister. For thousands of years she had kept this secret to herself, but now it seemed she would have to share it with another. She knew if she didn't give Fate a valid reason for keeping the knowledge of the Hallows away from Harry, that her sister would eventually ignore her and tell the young Wizard the truth.

"When Death asked me to create the Hallows to repay her debt to the Peverell brothers, I reluctantly agreed to do her bidding. In my haste to make them for her, the three items I created were more powerful than I intended. At the time I didn't think too much of it, but the moment the brothers touched the Hallows I knew I had made a horrible mistake."

Fate was intrigued by the tale, and asked, "And what exactly is this mistake, sister?"

Magic grimaced at the question. She hated revealing the secret she'd kept hidden for so long, but when she saw the penetrating gaze of her sister waiting for her to reply, she sighed softly in defeat.

"Should one of the Peverell brothers or their descendants unite the Hallows, they would not only be the Master of Death, but also of Magic...me."

Fate was stunned by the answer. Of all the things she was expecting to hear, that certainly wasn't one of them. She found it hard to believe that Magic's realm would also be included under the power of the Hallows, until she realized what must have occurred.

"You added your essence to the Hallows," she gasped. "How stupid could you be, sister?"

Magic stepped back from the anger she could hear in her sister's voice, and knew that Fate had a valid reason to be angry with her.

"I did," she admitted reluctantly. "I made the Hallows exactly as Death specified. Each item had a small amount of our sister's essence within it, but in order to get the cloak to hide from Death's gaze, I added more of my power than I meant to. A part of my essence must have leaked through without me realizing it, and when it combined with our sister's essence, I didn't realize that it came from me."

Now that she finally knew the reason behind her redheaded sister's sudden infatuation with the nexus, Fate could easily see what her plan was to be. Since Harry assumed he no longer had the Hallows, he would never think to take up the mantle of Master of Death again. Once he died, with the wand and stone hidden inside his body, neither one of her sisters would ever have to worry about any of his descendents trying to do the same later. Overall the "ignorance is bliss" plan wasn't a bad idea, and Fate decided she was willing to allow it within reason.

"I'll make you a deal, Magic," Fate said to her sister. "Death and I will agree not to tell Harry about the Hallows, as long as Voldemort doesn't look like he's winning."

Magic knew her sister was a fair person, and that her offer was the best that she could hope for. With a reluctant sigh, she said, "That is acceptable, sister."

"In return I don't want you to have anything else to do with Harry, unless Death or I ask you for your help."

Magic was slightly offended that her sisters would think she could harm their precious little mortal and replied, "Fine. I'll stay away from him, but I hope you know that I would never harm Harry. I'm not that selfish you know. I realize how important he is to keep Voldemort from gaining Death's power and I would never hurt him on purpose. I even gave him a gift because I know how important he is to the two of you."

"What gift did you give him?," Fate asked suspiciously.

Magic rolled her eyes at the question and replied, "Since you entrusted him with the powers of a Shadow Mage, I thought I'd help out and turned his Tiger Animagus into a Shadow cat. If he plays around with it, he should find that his new form allows him to still use some of his Shadow abilities."

When she looked into her sister's green eyes, Fate could see that she was telling the truth. A part of her felt bad for thinking her sister would intentionally harm Harry, but Voldemort was a very serious threat and her warning still needed to be said.

"I'm sorry for thinking you would harm Harry, Magic," Fate apologized. "But now that we have a plan, lets stick with it until it needs to be changed."

Magic nodded her head and said, "Apology accepted, sister. Call me if you need me."

* * *

The following morning Harry sat on the sofa in his suite, patiently waiting for his friends to arrive. After his conversation with Fate, he thought for a long time about what he would say to his friends and finally he decided that it was time to start trusting the people that were closest to him. He realized the value of sharing the burden of his secrets with his friends and family and if they agreed to the memory Charm he wanted to place, Harry was more than willing to tell them the truth about his abilities.

For the past two hours he'd been adjusting the truth to fit how it would have been possible for him to learn these things in this world, and he was now positive that he had a believable explanation for any questions they may ask him. All he had to do was sell the answers that he came up with.

When he finally heard the knocking he was waiting for, Harry stood up, took a deep breath and made his way to the front door. As soon as he opened it, he was surprised to see only Alex and Daphne standing in front of him.

"Morning, ladies," Harry greeted his fiances with a smile. "Come on in. Are Neville and Hermione going to be here soon, because I'd rather go through this interrogation only once."

"Neville and Hermione will be coming in a few minutes," Daphne replied hesitantly. "We wanted to come earlier, so we could talk to you in private first."

After their parting words to him last night, Harry was expecting the girls to be irate, and he was suddenly concerned to see how guilty and upset the pair looked. "Is everything okay guys?"

"No it isn't, Harry," Alex answered, her eyes unable to meet his. "We're not here to interrogate you."

"What?," Harry asked, his concern growing with their atypical behavior. "Why not? After yesterday I thought the two of you would be bursting at the seams to ask me questions."

"We're sorry about last night,Harry," Daphne replied for the pair.

Harry was now utterly confused by the response. "You're going to have to be a little more clear with me girls. Why exactly are you apologizing to me?"

"You saved our lives last night, and we didn't even thank you for it," Daphne answered him. "It wasn't until we got back to our dorm did we realize the troll could have killed us."

When Alex saw that Harry was still confused, she tried to explain, "I can't tell you why, Harry, but when you starting fighting the troll last night, for some reason neither one of us was scared. We just knew you wouldn't let anything happen to us. It wasn't until we talked about it back in our room, did we realize that once again we treated you poorly. We yelled at you and demanded answers from you, when we should have been thanking you for risking your life to save us."

Harry felt himself blush at the praise, and he silently cursed himself for not having better control over his young body. "You don't have the thank me for last night ladies. I...I would never let anything happen to either one of you."

"We know, Harry," Daphne replied softly. "That's why we feel so horrible about the way we treated you yesterday. These past few months the three of us have gotten closer, and you have been more than willing to be open and honest with the both us. Alex and I talked about it last night, and we agreed that we don't have the right to demand things from you. While we do have questions that we hope you will answer, to be honest, we're both just a little hurt that you didn't tell us that you were an Animagus. The past few weeks we've shared so many personal things about ourselves with each other, it seems strange that you would hide something frivolous like being an Animagus from us."

"But we trust you, Harry," Alex continued. "C...could you please forgive us for being stupid last night?"

Harry was stunned by the sudden turn of events. He was so used to being hated upon in his old life, it never even occurred to him that he should be angry with the girls for their actions. The apology he received from his fiances was not something he was expecting, but he was happy with the sentiment. It made him feel good to know that not only did they feel safe in his presence, but they truly and honestly cared about him too. After the years he spent being blamed for everything, having someone apologize like this, was almost more than he could handle.

"Y...you don't have to apologize, ladies, but if you need to hear it, I forgive you."

It was at this point that the trio's "kodak moment" was interrupted by a loud knocking and Harry untangled himself from his future wives to see who it was. When he opened the door and saw Neville and Hermione, Harry quickly ushered his friends into the suite.

Once everyone had made themselves comfortable, Harry saw them all staring back at him silently, and he knew it was time to share the truth with his friends. He just prayed he was doing the right thing.

"After last night I think it's obvious that I've been keeping things from all of you and I'm ready to tell you what some of those secrets are. There are several things about myself that I haven't shared with anyone, but before I tell you I need you to know it's not because I don't trust you guys. My biggest concern was that certain could take this knowledge away from you without your consent."

Daphne perked up at hearing this. Having been raised as an heiress to an Ancient and Noble House, she knew how important keeping secrets from your enemies could be. It's part of the reason that her parents insisted that she start to learn Occlumency. "Is there someone is particular you're worried about, Harry?," she asked her betrothed curiously.

Harry nodded his head and answered, "Snape and Dumbledore. They're both Master Legilimens and I've already felt them brush against my defenses trying to look into my mind. So far I haven't caught their attention too much, but if either of them learned about the things I can do, I'm worried how far they will go to learn my secrets."

"Legilimency on underage children is illegal," Alex gasped. "Why haven't you told your dad about it?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Lack of proof. It would be their word against mine, and no one will think that the great Albus Dumbledore would stoop to mind raping children."

Hermione was confused by what she was hearing. From the disgusted looks that appeared on her friend's faces, she could tell it was something bad, but she really didn't understand what Harry was talking about. "What's a Legilimens and why are you worried about Dumbledore?"

"A Legilimens is someone who practices the art of Legilimency, Hermione, and said person can use their ability to look into your mind and see all of your memories," Harry answered. "As for Dumbledore...I have reason to believe he is not as Light as he claims to be. The sorting hat even warned me to be wary around the headmaster."

Hermione was appalled to learn that someone could do that to her. She knew she didn't have secrets that were earth shattering, but that didn't mean she wanted someone to snoop around her head and learn all her private thoughts.

"That's horrible," she cried out. "Is there a way for us to protect our minds from them?"

"It's called Occlumency, Hermione," Daphne replied. "It's an ancient art that allows you to form shields around your mind, so a Legilimens can't read your thoughts. There are several added benefits to the art, but it's main purpose is to counteract Legilimency."

"Can you teach it to me?," Hermione asked her blonde best friend.

Daphne shook her head and said, "I don't know enough to teach you, Hermione. I only started learning myself a few months before school started."

"I can teach you, Hermione," Harry offered. "In fact, I can help all of you learn it."

Alex was stunned to hear that Harry could teach them. Amongst the pureblood families the Blacks were known to be the best at the mind arts, and from her own training, she knew what that process entailed. If Harry was able to teach them how to protect their minds, then he would also have to be able to test the shields they created. But Legilimency was strictly regulated by the Ministry and it would be illegal for him to know it.

"Do you know Legilimency, Harry?," she asked her fiance hesitantly.

Harry could sense the unease coming from Alex, and he was pretty certain why she was feeling so. "Yes I do, Alex," he answered. "But you don't need to worry about me. As soon as I claimed my Lordships, I had my Accounts Manager register my ability through the ICW. Even if the Ministry found out I was teaching you guys, they couldn't get me in trouble. Not only do I have all the paperwork necessary to use the skill, but I'm a pureblood Lord. They won't dare to charge me with anything."

Daphne shook her head slightly at how cunning her fiance was. By registering through the ICW he could use his ability legally, but still be able to hide that knowledge from the British Ministry. From the way her father had spoken about how things were done there, she knew for a fact the Ministry wouldn't check any paperwork the ICW sent them. What baffled her was why he was willing to share his secrets with them now? Occlumency took months to learn and years to master. If he told them the truth now, how were they supposed to keep that knowledge from Snape and Dumbledore?

"Harry?"

"Yeah, Daph?"

"Not that I don't want to know, but if you tell us your secrets now, how are we supposed to protect them? Occlumency takes a long time to learn."

Harry grimaced at the question. This was the part of the conversation that he was dreading, and if his friends didn't consent to it, he wasn't sure how could tell them the truth.

"There is another way, Daph," Harry replied nervously. "If you guys will allow me to do it, I can place a memory charm on whatever I tell you today. It won't stop you from telling others about my secrets, but it will make sure that no one will be able to take that knowledge from your mind. The spell not only hides the information like a Fidelus, with you as the secret keeper, but I also plan to place a mind Golem for added protection. It would take the headmaster and Snape a wanded Legilimens attack just to find the block, and if they do, the Golem will be more than enough to protect it."

When he looked at his friends, Harry could see the varying degrees of uncertainty they were all feeling. Memory Charms could be used to strip someone of their memories, inhibitions, and even their free will. It took great trust to willingly allow someone to place them on you.

Hoping to ease some of his friend's concerns, Harry grabbed his wand and said, "I Harry James Potter-Peverell-Daniels swear on my magic and my life, that the memory charm I described works exactly how I said it does. It will in no way influence your memories or inhibit upon your free will. It's sole purpose is to protect the secrets I will share with you. Furthermore, once you have learned Occlumency enough to protect your mind, I swear to remove the block I will place today. So Mote It Be."

"HARRY!", Alex yelled out in anger. "YOU MADE AN UNBREAKABLE VOW YOU PRAT. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? YOU COULD HAVE HURT YOURSELF."

"Is that what I did, Alex," Harry asked with a cheeky grin.

When he saw his fiance continue to glare in his direction, Harry was quick to wipe the grin off his face.

"Look, I...I trust you guys, Alex. I don't care about making the vow, because all of you are not just my friends, you're my family. In a few years I'm going to marry Alex and Daphne, and I already share a god brother relationship with Neville. I know I haven't known Hermione long, but she's already becoming like a third sister for me. I can't explain it, but I know deep down that none of you guys would knowingly betray me. Each of you is important to me, and I don't want to keep lying to you."

As he waited for his friends to make their decision, Harry sighed in relief when one by one each of his friends nodded their head in agreement.

"Excellent,"Harry exclaimed, as he clapped his hands together. "So...I think we can begin with the obvious secret...I'm a Bengal tiger Animagus."

Now that his god brother was willing to share some of his secrets, Neville was definitely excited to learn about becoming an Animagus. He'd heard about the ability from one of his tutors a few years ago, and he always wondered what animal he would be.

"How did you do it, Harry?," Neville asked his god brother excitedly. "And can you teach me to be one?"

"They're both registered with the Ministry, so I guess it's okay to tell you. When my dad and uncle Sirius were at Hogwarts, the two of them figured out how to become Animagi. I found my dad's journal awhile back, and it gave step by step directions and tips on how to do the process. I was curious what my form would be, so before coming to school I drank an Animagus revealing potion. I completed the transformation during the first week and now I can do it at will. So yes, Nev. If you have an animal form, than I can help you become one."

"Is it painful?," Alex asked.

"Not really. The first change is a little uncomfortable, but it's more because of how draining it is on your magic. Once you get used to the transformation, you hardly feel anything."

As she watched Alex and Neville nearly jump up out of their seats, Daphne rolled her eyes at their obvious giddiness. While being an Animagus was definitely something that interested her, she had a different question for Harry. It was something that had been bothering her for some time, and if he was willing to be honest with them right now, she wanted to see if her theory was right.

"Harry...do you even need to be at Hogwarts?"

Harry was surprised by the question, but when he looked into Daphne's eyes, he could see that she already suspected what his answer would be. "No I don't, Daphne."

"Of course you do, Harry," Hermione replied, outraged by his answer. "School is important. Regardless of how smart you are, you still need to score well on your OWLs and NEWTs to get a good job."

"Actually, Hermione, I'm more than capable of taking my NEWTs today. I might have some trouble with History of Magic and Astronomy, but I have no doubt I would do well on all the other subjects."

"What?!," Hermione asked in shock. "How is that even possible? You're just a first year, Harry. Even if you grew up in the Wizarding world, how could you possibly know the information necessary to take those exams right now?"

"I have an eidetic memory, Hermione, and I've been studying magic from the Potter library since I was seven years old."

When he heard Hermione gasp, Neville knew it had to deal with Harry's memory, but he still didn't know what it meant to have an eidetic memory. "Ehhh, sorry but what does that mean, Harry?"

Hermione was still awestruck by Harry's revelation and if she was being honest with herself, a little jealous of his memory. When she heard Neville's question, Hermione snapped out of her momentary daze and answered, "It means he has a perfect memory, Neville. Harry will remember anything he sees, hears, smells or touches for the rest of his life."

"Then why are you here?," Daphne asked curiously. "Since you're emancipated, you're technically an adult. You could take your OWLs and NEWTs whenever you want."

"To be honest, I came here because it was expected of me. I wasn't sure if I wanted everyone to know how smart I really am, so I thought it was best to go to Hogwarts and see what it had to offer. Now that I've been here awhile, I can veraciously say that I don't need this school to be successful. The only reason I stay is because of you, Alex, Hermione and Nev. I've spent so many years by myself, Daph, I just don't want to be alone anymore. I want to get to know the girls I'm going to marry some day. I want to be able to get close to the god brother I never met before. Hell, I even want to answer all the questions Hermione has about the Magical world."

"So...you're not planning on leaving anytime soon, right?," Daphne asked hesitantly.

Harry smiled warmly at her and shook his head. "I might be skipping out of some classes with you guys, but I'm not leaving this school until the rest of you do."

"What do you mean you're going to skip out on some classes?," Alex asked him.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and said, "I've decided I'm no longer going to hide my intelligence from everyone, Alex. Since I'm already good at Runes and Potions, I think I'm going to test out of those subjects as soon as I can. I sent a letter to Griselda Marchbanks from the Wizarding Examination Authority right before you guys got here. It's probably going to cost me a little bit, but I should be able to take the tests in a few days."

Neville was stunned to hear that Harry was already planning on taking his OWLs and NEWTs for some subjects. Since the moment he met his god brother, Neville knew that Harry was a smart Wizard. He just never realized how brilliant his friend really was. If Harry could really leave Hogwarts whenever he wanted, Neville was grateful his god brother chose to stay for them. He'd spent so many years alone at Longbottom Manor, he enjoyed the camaraderie he shared with his new friends. Unlike the other kids he met in the school, the people in the suite liked being with him and not the Boy-Who-Lived. A part of him was thankful that he wouldn't have to lose that anytime soon.

When the girls finally managed to calm themselves down, Neville suddenly remembered a question he wanted to ask about last night. "What was that transporting thing we did yesterday, mate? It wasn't apparation that's for sure. The trip was much too smooth and it didn't make me nauseous at the end of it."

Harry sighed softly when he heard the question. He was hoping Neville might have forgotten about it in all the excitement, but he should have known better than to assume something that lucky would happen for him.

When he saw his god brother patiently waiting for him to answer, Harry took a deep breath and said, "That was called a Shadow Walk, Nev."

"A what?"

"A Shadow Walk is an inherent ability of a Shadow Mage," Harry explained to the group. "It allows me to travel in between two shadows, regardless of the distance. I've tested it a few times, and so far I've been able to go from my suite to Diagon alley without any problems. I can't be a hundred percent sure yet, but it seems as long as I can picture the destination in my head, I can go anywhere I want."

"What exactly is a Shadow Mage, Harry?," Alex asked excitedly. "I've never heard of it before."

"I'm not really sure, Alex," Harry replied. "After my procedure over the summer the Goblin Healer thought I might be one, so I had my Accounts Manager look for some information on it. All he could find was a single book. I haven't gone through all of it yet, but I do know Shadow Mages are rare. The author of the book was the last one the Goblins knew about and he existed over 900 years ago."

As she stared at her future husband, Daphne could tell he was holding something back about his ability. Once upon a time that might have bothered her, but there was something about Harry that made her trust him completely. As much as she wanted to know what he was hiding, she had faith it wouldn't harm them in any way and so she was willing to wait for him to share that information on his own.

When she looked over and saw that Hermione was just about to attack her fiance with questions she was sure he wanted to avoid, Daphne tried to move the conversation along.

"It seems you're a bigger enigma than I originally thought, Mr. Potter," she said jokingly. "Any more earth shattering powers or abilities you want to share with us?"

Harry cocked his head to the side and contemplated the question. There was one more thing he wanted to share with the group, but he wasn't sure if it would be too much for them. After a moments hesitation he decided if he really didn't have anything to lose.

"Actually there is, Daphne," Harry replied with a grin.

When he saw everyone eagerly lean forward to hear his secret, Harry lifted his left arm and hissed, "_SSSelena, could you pleassse come out and meet my friendsss._"

Harry felt the Cobra emerge from the tattoo in his arm and he winced at the gasps he heard from his friends. Summoning the full might of his Gryffindor courage, he looked up at the group and said, "You guys have already met my familiar Hedwig, now I would like to introduce you to my other familiar. Everyone...this is Selena."

Hermione had to stop herself from hyperventilating at what she was seeing. Harry had just spoken to a snake that emerged from a tattoo on his arm, and from everything she read in Hogwarts A History it said this ability was the mark of a Dark Wizard.

"Y..y..you're a Parselmouth?," she asked in fear. "B..b..but only a descendant of Slytherin can speak to snakes."

Harry felt his heart skip a beat at the fear he could see in Hermione's brown eyes. He knew she wasn't his Hermione, but her face was the same as his best friend's and he never once imagined a day where that face would look at him and be afraid.

"It's just a language, Hermione," Harry told her sadly. "It's no different than me speaking in French or Italian. It doesn't make me a Dark Wizard."

When she saw how sad Harry was from Hermione's question, Alex glared angrily at her brunette roommate. As a Black she knew what it meant to be ostracized by everyone, and she refused to let someone as incredible as her Harry deal with it by himself.

"It doesn't make him evil, Hermione," Alex sneered at her friend. "In case you forgot, he's still the same boy who jumped in front of us to fight a mountain troll last night. How could you possibly think Harry was a Dark Wizard? I thought you were smarter than that."

Hermione winced at the anger she could hear in her best friend's voice. After everything she learned from Alex and Daphne about the Magical world's contradictions and discriminations, she should have known better than to accept anything she read at face value.

Other than the incident on the train with Malfoy, in the short time that she'd known him, Harry had never shown any hint of rage or violence. In fact, he'd been nothing but kind and generous with her since they met. She felt ashamed that she allowed her fear to brush aside her logic so easily. After what Harry and Neville did for them last night, she shouldn't have judged her friend for something he had no control over.

"I'm so sorry, Harry," Hermione cried. "It was stupid and insensitive of me to judge you for speaking to snakes. You're one of my closest friends, and I know you would never knowingly hurt me. Can you please forgive me for my stupidity?"

When he saw Harry nod his head and smile, Neville could tell his god brother was still upset. After everything his best friend had done for him, and the secrets he'd willingly told them today, Neville couldn't stand to let Harry share this burden by himself.

Without thinking his actions through, Neville raised his hand towards the large Cobra and hissed, "_It isss a pleasssure to meet you, SSSelena. You are a beautiful sssnake._"

"_Thank you ssspeaker. It isss a pleasssure to meet you too. Harry hasss ssspoken often of all of you. SSShould you desssire to bond with a sssnake of your own, I have made many friendsss in the Forbidden Foressst._"

"_I will keep you offer in mind dear SSSelena._"

The moment he heard Neville speak to Selena, Harry saw the girls simultaneously whip their necks in his direction. While he was most definitely amused by their reaction, he was even more proud of his god brother's actions. It was obvious why Neville shared his secret with the group, and he was pleased that his friend cared enough about him to do that. Neville had a strength of character that surpassed his counterpart's in the old world, and Harry was glad they were close in this one.

"You know people will judge you if they find out, Nev," Harry warned his god brother.

Neville shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I don't plan on announcing it the rest of the world, Harry, but I do trust the knowledge with everyone in this room. You were right when you called all of us family, because that's exactly what we are. If you can't trust family, then who can you trust?"

As soon as Neville's words registered in the minds of the three Ravenclaws, the two boys suddenly found themselves enveloped by the crying girls. At first Harry was worried about their reaction, but when he realized the girls were laughing, he finally allowed himself to enjoy the hug.

From his conversation with Fate, Harry knew he would never be able to tell his friends and family all of his secrets, but in that moment he was glad he was able to tell them the truth about the things that he could share. Secrets were definitely a burden for anyone, but if you could find the right people to share them with, life was far more easier.

* * *

A week after his heart to heart with his friends, Harry found himself standing in the W.E.A. portion of the Ministry. At first the head of the department had been reluctant to grant Harry a chance to take his tests, but when he quoted several pure blood laws in his return letter, the elderly matron forced to acquiesce to his demands.

When he finally arrived at the office he was searching for Harry knocked on the door of the Head of the W.E.A. and the moment he heard a voice call out for him to enter, he immediately opened the door and walked inside. At first glance Griselda Marchbanks made the headbastard look like a spring chicken, and Harry was surprised the woman was still alive let alone working for the Ministry.

"Good morning, Madam Marchbanks," Harry greeted the woman. "Thank you for allowing me to take the tests I requested today."

Griselda arched an eyebrow at the boy in front of her and replied, "Good morning to you too, Lord Peverell-Daniels. You really didn't give me much of a choice in the matter. Are you sure you want to do this, my Lord? These tests are not to be taken lightly and I highly doubt you are capable of passing any of them."

"I'm absolutely certain about my decision, Madam," Harry answered with a smirk. "As long as the tests are graded fairly, I believe you will be pleasantly surprised by the results."

"Very well, my Lord," the head of the department said with a sigh. "May I please have the form you filled out for your chosen tests."

Once she took the form from Harry's hand, Griselda gasped at the tests the young Lord had chosen to take.

**Hadrian James Orion Potter-Peverell-Daniels:**

**_Single Test Examination_**:

_Dueling_

_Flying_

_Healing and First Aid_

_Human Languages(French and Italian)_

_Non-Human Language(Gobbledegook)_

_Physical Education_

_Politics and Law_

_Wizarding Etiquette_

**_Multiple Test Examination:_**

_Ancient Runes(OWL and NEWT)_

_Muggle Studies(OWL and NEWT)_

_Potions(OWL and NEWT)_

"If you are certain, my Lord, then let us begin."

As he grabbed the first examination packet and placed it in front of him, Harry couldn't help but smile at the thought of the future. If the Magical world needed someone other than Dumbledore or Voldemort to follow, he would make sure he gave them someone that would shock and amaze them.


	16. The Game and the Stone

**Chapter 16: The Game and The Stone**

Finally the day for the first Quidditch match of the season had arrived, and with the game being played between Gryffindor and Slytherin, the entire school was buzzing with excitement. Even the teachers were getting into the school spirit, and many of them walked around proudly bearing the flags for the team they were cheering for.

Despite the fact that he played the game for three years and knew that he was an outstanding flyer, the entire day had been a nerve wracking one for Harry. Much like in his old world, Harry was still nervous about playing in front of large crowds, but this time his anxiety was worse because his family would be out there watching him.

By the time the game was ready to begin, Harry felt like a giant bundle of nerves that was ready to burst apart at the seams. He was standing with his teammates, waiting for his name to be announced, but all Harry could think about was being in the air.

In his old world his nervousness would disappear once he was actually flying, and he prayed it was the same in this one. He spent so many hours dreaming of playing a game in front of his dad, and now that he had his chance, he wanted to make the man proud of him.

Finally Harry heard Lee Jordan's voice come booming out over an over-charged _Sonorus_ and he couldn't wait for the match to begin.

"**_WELCOME! Welcome Hogwarts to the first Quidditch game of the season! Today we have a clash of the Titans grudge match, as Team Slytherin faces off against the Mighty Gryffindors! My name is Lee Jordan and I will be your commentator for all of the games this season. That's right ladies, so if any of you want to have a chance to sit up..._**"

"JORDAN," McGonagall roared over the crowd.

"**_Sorry Professor_**," Jordan replied sheepishly. "**_Alright folks, without no more ado, allow me to announce the starting lineups for today's game. First up we have the tough as nails Team Slytherin. Playing Keeper for the Silver and Green is second year Miles Bletchley. At the Beater position for Slytherin we have seventh year Marcus Carrow and sixth year Justin Axley. The offensive power for the Snake's today will be provided by their Chasers, fourth year Adrian Pucey, seventh year Aaron Westlin, and fifth year Marcus Flint. Finally at Seeker for the Snakes, we have sixth year Terrence Higgs. Come one Hogwarts, give it up for Team Slytherin._**"

While 3/4 of the school politely clapped for the "slimy" snakes, the Slytherin section erupted with a booming cheer. Lee allowed the students to have a few moments to celebrate, and then began the introductions for the Gryffindors.

"**_Next up, Hogwarts, we have the MIGHTY MIGHTY GRYFFINDORS! Playing Keeper for today's match is fifth year Quidditch guru the wonderful Oliver Woods. At Beater for the Lions we have the tenacious third years, Fred and George WEAAAASLEY. The scoring for the Red and Gold today will be provided by the stunning third year Chasers, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet. And let me tell you folks, these girls are hot, hot, hot._**"

"JORDAN, DON'T MAKE ME REMOVE YOU."

"**_Sorry Professor. And now Hogwarts, the final two players for the Lions today are also the youngest pairing of first years to play together in over two hundred years. Playfully dubbed as The Golden Lions of Gryffindor, we have at Chaser none other than the Boy-Who-Lived, NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM. And finally for the youngest Seeker in a century, the Lions are proud to announce the first year prodigy, HARRY POTTER. Come on Hogwarts, show your support to our MIGHTY GRYFFINDORS!_**"

When his name was finally called, Harry ran out of the tunnel he was waiting in and immediately made his way to the field. He could see the two team Captains Oliver and Flint staring at each other in front of Madam Hooch and as he got closer, he heard the flying instructor say, "You have your instructions gentleman. Now I want a clean game today, so shake hands and mount your brooms. Since Slytherin won the toss, when I blow the whistle they will start off with the Quaffle."

Harry jumped on the brand new Nimbus 2000 his dad sent him as a present for making the team, and as soon as he was in the air, he could feel the cold November wind rip through his hair. The moment he began to soar in the sky, all of his anxiety seemed to bleed away from his body. Harry no longer worried about the crowds and the cheering, because all of his focus was now on the Slytherin players he would soon be facing.

When he finally joined his teammates in front of their goal, Oliver began to give the gathered Gryffindors his standard last second inspirational speech. "All right team. We've practiced hard for this day, and I know we're going to win. All we have.."

"Relax, Oliver, Harry interrupted him. "We got this."

"Yeah oh fearless Captain," Fred began with a smirk. "With the Golden Lions of Gryffindor on our side..."

"The slimy snakes won't know what hit 'em," George finished.

Neville rolled his eyes at the stupid nickname his teammates liked to use for him and Harry and said, "We're ready, Oliver. Trust us...Slytherin doesn't stand a chance today."

As soon as Oliver saw the dangerous glint appear in the eyes of his two youngest players, he couldn't stop himself from grinning like a maniac. He'd seen what the baby Lions were capable of in practice, and at the moment the two first years looked ready to tear the Slytherin team apart by themselves. As he watched his teammates get into their opening formation, Oliver couldn't wait to see what the Golden Lions of Gryffindor were going to do.

"All right then boys and girls," he called out to his team. "Let's go beat some snakes."

When Madam Hooch finally blew the whistle, Harry shot out like a bullet towards the Slytherin Chasers. He knew the Snitch wouldn't make an appearance for awhile, and he saw no reason not to help his teammates until it did.

With his decision made, Harry plunged into the opposing defence and quickly intercepted a lackadaisical pass by Flint. In the corner of his eye he saw Neville racing towards the Slytherin goal, and much like he did during practice, he lobbed a perfect lead pass to his streaking god brother.

Harry saw Neville catch the Quaffle on his fingertips, then flip around the unsuspecting Slytherin keeper and launch it through the goal for Gryffindor's first points. The two god brothers shared a brief smile and a knowing look, before the watching crowd erupted in celebration.

"**_GRYFFINDOR SCORES. Merlin's beard, did you guys see that? Those firsties sure know how to play Quidditch. That's got to be the fastest score I've ever seen in a match._**"

Once the Slytherin team managed to get over their shock at the score, the two teams settled down and the game became more intense. The Slytherin beaters tried to target the Gryffindor Chasers, but Harry was always there to interfere. Sometimes he kicked the Bludgers out of the way and sometimes he used his broom to do the deed. Regardless of how he did it, Harry managed to give his teammates the time they needed to score again and again.

"**_After twenty-five minutes of play, the Lions lead the Snakes 260-30 and Gryffindor doesn't seem to be slowing down at all. Longbottom pokes the Quaffle out of Westlin's hands, and wow look at him go. He evades the Slytherin Beaters with ease and sends a no look pass to Angelina for another score. All you future Quidditch stars, make sure you're taking notes, because this is teamwork at it's finest folks._**"

With his team firmly in the lead, Harry decided it was time to start looking for the Snitch. He made his way to a spot high above pitch and began looking for the tiny ball of gold. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw the Slytherin Seeker watching him closely, and he immediately recognized the future Death Eater.

In his old world Higgs was a small time Death Eater that joined their ranks right after the D.o.M. disaster. The week before Harry started his sixth year, the idiot was caught trying to assassinate Amelia Bones inside of the Ministry. Thankfully the Aurors caught him before the new Minister could even notice his presence, but Harry still had him on his shit list for daring to attack one of the few people in the Ministry that he actually had respect for.

"**_Looks like one of the Lions is having some problems in the air folks. OOOH, Longbottom just manages to avoid being struck by a Bludger. I'm not sure what's happening here everyone, but it looks like the first year's broom is malfunctioning. The Weasley twins have now moved in to protect their young Chaser from the Bludgers the Slytherin Beaters are sending his way, but I'm not sure how long they can keep that up. Longbottom's going to have to gain control of his broom and he's going to have to do it soon._**"

As soon as he heard Lee's words, Harry looked down and noticed that Neville was having problems below him. His god brother's broom was bucking wildly, and Harry instantly knew the reason why. When he turned towards the Slytherin stands and saw the DADA teacher staring intensely at Neville and moving his lips, Harry cursed silently at himself for not remembering about Quirrelmort's attack on him during the first game of the season.

Just when he was about to rush over to Neville and help him with his broom, Harry noticed that Higgs was still marking him closely, and he grinned at the idea that suddenly popped into his head. Pretending as if he saw the Snitch, Harry dove towards the ground as fast as he could. He moved his broom through a series of flips and twists like a madman, until he had the Slytherin Seeker following him towards the stands.

"**_And he's off...Harry Potter sees the Snitch folks. Wow. Look at him go. Is everyone else seeing what I'm seeing? It seems our first year is not just a prodigy in the classroom, but also in the air. Right now Potter looks more like a Professional than a first year Quidditch player. Merlin, that's a beautiful barrel roll. He must have had some extensive training from his father, the Legendary Gryffindor Chaser James Potter. _**"

Once he was sure he had the angle that he wanted, Harry willed his broom to speed towards the Slytherin stands. He could feel Higgs inching closer behind him, and he purposely positioned himself to obstruct the Slytherin Seeker's view. The pair rapidly approached the spot where the unsuspecting Quirrell was busy hexing Neville's broom, and at the last possible second Harry pulled back on the front of his broom and smiled when he saw Higgs crash into stands.

"**_Did you guys just see that? That...that...that was beautiful! That was one of the greatest Wronski Feints I have ever seen in my life. If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it. And it was done by a first year! The youngest Seeker in a century is sure living up to all the hype folks. It looks like the Legend of James Potter will one day be replaced by his own son!_**"

As he made his way back to the Quidditch pitch, Harry looked over at his god brother and saw that he was once again in control of his broom. When the Snakes called a timeout to check on their injured Seeker, Harry took the opportunity to play to the crowds. He buzzed by the Gryffindor stands and when he saw his family he grinned and winked at them.

Soon the timeout came to an end, and the game started up again. Higgs and the Slytherins were furious by the stunt, and with the Gryffindor lead already more than two hundred points, the Snakes were no longer playing to win. After the timeout they came out looking for revenge and began to commit fouls in hopes of injuring the Lions.

"**_FOUL. Why wasn't that called? Pucey almost pulled the broom right out from under one of our Gryffindor Chasers. What a bunch of rotten, dirty, no good Snakes._**"

"JORDAN!"

"**_Sorry Professor._**"

When he realized what the Snakes were trying to do, Harry was more than willing to match fire with fire, and he quickly began targeting the Slytherins in return. When a stray Bludger came near Oliver, he jumped into it's path and lashed out with his Animagus enhanced muscles to kick it right into Marcus Flint. The Slytherin Captain wasn't prepared for an assault by the Seeker, and he was unable to avoid making contact with the Bludger. The strike hit directly over his right shoulder, and the fifth year screamed like a little girl as he fell off of his broom.

While the remaining Slytherins were stunned by the move, Harry continued his one man assault against them. He intercepted a pass between Pucey and Westlin, and raced towards the second year Slytherin Keeper. As soon as he approached the Snake's goal, Harry feinted like he was going to score and then threw the Quaffle directly at the Slytherin's broom.

Bletchley wasn't prepared for the attack, and when the Quaffle struck him, he lost his balance and fell off the broom. By the time his body collided into the ground with a sickening crunch, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the second year would no longer be able to continue.

"**_MERLIN, that was intentional. Damn Potter...you play rough. Two Slytherins down in just as many minutes. Looks like the slimy snakes are regretting their dirty play now._**"

"JORDAN, THAT'S ENOUGH," McGonagall yelled. But anyone who really knew her, could tell that the stern teacher's rebuke was only half-hearted.

Gryffindor happily gave Slytherin the penalty shot for the loss of their keeper, because they knew the Snake's had no way to win now. Without a Keeper to at least slow down the Lion Chasers, they had no shot of even making it a respectable game. The members of the Silver and Green were quick to realize this fact, and soon panic began to set in amongst the remaining members of the team.

When the two sides broke to allow the Slytherin team another injury timeout, Harry flew over to his teammates and grinned at the stunned looks on their faces. "What? You think I'm going to let them target one of my teammates and not retaliate?"

Oliver grinned like a mad man and replied, "You're an absolute freaking demon in the air, Potter. I love it."

Harry rolled his eyes at his Captain's childlike enthusiasm and said, "Thanks Oliver, but the girls and Neville deserve more credit than I do. We're leading 310-50 because of them."

"Damn right," Angelina and Alicia said in unison, as they mock glared at the fifth year.

"And don't you forget it, Potter," Neville replied, as he tried his best to imitate the famous Malfoy arrogant drawl.

Before the Weasley twins could throw in a joke of their own, Oliver threw up his hands in defeat, and said, "Yes, yes, everyone has done an amazing job today. But the game isn't over yet. You need to get the Snitch quick, Potter. If the Snakes forfeit before you do, we won't get the points for it."

"Don't worry about anything else, Harry," George told him in a surprisingly serious voice.

"We'll protect the rest of our teammates," Fred finished in the same tone.

Harry was slightly unnerved by the suddenly stoic demeanor of the habitual pranksters, but he nodded his head and said, "You got it guys. I won't let you down."

When the injury timeout finally ended, Harry flew up high above the pitch, his eyes only searching for one thing. It took another ten minutes of play for him to find the tiny gold ball with wings, but the moment he did he raced towards it and caught the Snitch in his hand.

"**_WOHOOO. Harry Potter catches the Snitch and Gryffindor wins by a landslide. In a completely one sided victory, the Lions defeated the Snakes 490-50. The Golden Lion duo definitely lived up to their nickname, as the two first years were instrumental in crushing Team Slytherin. Here's hoping this is just the beginning for our wunderkind firsties, and that they're able to maintain this pace for the rest of the year. Thank you everyone for coming here today. I'm Lee Jordan and I'll see you all here next time for Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff._**"

As soon as the team touched down on the ground, Harry and Neville were smothered in a group hug.

"Great job guys," Angelina exclaimed proudly to the pair. "You two were amazing out there today."

"Hell yeah," Alicia agreed with her best friend. "That was a wicked game you two played. If you guys play like that all the time, they might as well just give us the cup now."

"IN HONOR OF OUR OUTSTANDING FIRSTIES," George yelled out.

"TONIGHT WE WILL FEAST AND PARTY LIKE THE CHAMPIONS THAT WE ARE," Fred finished for his brother.

Harry and Neville both blushed under the praise they received from their teammates, and then they simultaneously grinned at the thought of the celebration the Weasleys just promised everyone. Harry already lived through several of their parties, and he was well aware of how fun they could be. In his last life he remained glued to Ron and Hermione for most of the night, but this time around he thought it was a perfect way to make more friends.

After a few more minutes the team began to make their way to the locker rooms, but Harry stayed back to meet with his family. He was about to go and search for them, when he was suddenly struck by a redheaded bullet and knocked to the ground. Harry grunted from the impact with his assailant, and when he looked down to see who it was, he was surprised to find his little sister grinning back at him.

"That was amazing, Harry," Rose shouted excitedly to her brother. "I never knew you could play like that. You have to give me lessons. Please. Please. Please. Promise me you will teach me how to play like that."

"Fine, Rose," Harry replied with a smirk. "But it's gonna cost you."

"Y...y..you would charge me?," Rose asked with a fake pout. "Your favorite little sister. I'm hurt right now, Harry. Really hurt."

"You might as well give in to her, pup. I doubt she'll let you up until you do."

When he looked up, Harry saw his dad, Sirius, Daniel and Violet all staring down at him. By the amused expressions on all of their faces, he could clearly see they were all enjoying his current plight.

Harry rolled his eyes at Rose and replied, "Fine. I won't charge you little brat, but you have to promise not to tackle me to the ground anymore."

"Deal."

As soon as his sister jumped off of him, Harry pushed himself to his feet and ran right into a hug from Violet and Daniel. When he left for Hogwarts Harry worried about what that would do to the tentative relationship he'd built with his siblings, but thankfully through weekly letters and weekend calls through his communication mirrors, they were closer than he ever could have hoped for.

"Can you teach me too, Harry?," Daniel asked his brother. "I want to be good enough to play on your team when I come to Hogwarts."

"I'm not sure mum will let me teach you right now, Daniel. But if we can get some time over Christmas and the summer to sneak out when she's not home, I promise to take you flying."

"Thanks, Harry. You're the best."

When his siblings finally pulled away from him, Harry gently massaged his left shoulder. He was grazed by a Bludger earlier in the game, and the jarring tackle from his sister didn't do him any favors.

"You know, pup," Sirius smirked at his injured godson. "There's an unspoken rule in sports...don't do anything great if you can't handle the congratulations later."

As soon as his dad and godfather began to laugh at him, Harry glared at the pair and said, "Haha. Very funny. It's a good thing the two of you were pranksters and not jokesters."

James couldn't help but smile at his son's annoyed expression, and he reached out his hand to gently tousle his hair. "You were great out there, kiddo. I want you to know that I'm really proud of you. The way you played today, I can see you going Pro straight out of Hogwarts."

Harry beamed at his father's praise. In his old world he heard so many stories about how great his dad was at Quidditch, and that he must have inherited his flying skills from his father. It was always a dream of his to play a game where his dad was watching and would be proud of his skills. Now that the dream had become a reality, Harry couldn't be happier with the moment.

"Do you think I'll ever be as good as you, dad?"

James Potter smiled at his eldest son and said, "Once you get some more meat on your bones, Harry, you'll be much better than I ever was. I think the announcer today had it right, kiddo. By the time you leave Hogwarts, I have no doubt that you will replace me as Gryffindor's Legendary Potter."

While he still blushed at the praise, Harry couldn't help but enjoy every moment of it. "Thanks dad," he replied shyly.

As he watched his best friend and godson bond over Quidditch, Sirius knew the rest of the family would soon be making their appearance. "Ah, Harry. If you want to escape your mother's wrath, I suggest you head to the locker rooms until we can calm her down a little."

"What? Why would mum be angry with me?"

"Yeah," Daniel exclaimed in outrage. "Why would mum be angry with Harry?"

James winced at the question and thought about how furious his wife had been with Harry's play. It was the same when he played Quidditch, but he wasn't sure how to explain that to his son. It's part of the reason he and Sirius set out to find Harry on their own. After the fantastic game his son just played, he deserved to enjoy his victory in peace.

"Well...your mum really doesn't understand the finer points of Quidditch, son. She might be upset because she was worried that you would get hurt with the stunts you were pulling during the game. Then she might have gotten angry with you intentionally hurting members of the other team."

"But they started it, dad," Harry defended his actions. "I was more than ready to play a clean game, until Pucey tried to pull Angelina's broom away from her. The Slytherins were deliberately trying to hurt my teammates and I couldn't just sit back and do nothing. Besides, I didn't hurt anyone too badly. Madam Pomfrey should release Flint and Bletchley from the infirmary by tomorrow."

"We agree with you, pup," Sirius tried to console his godson. "But the ladies don't really understand how these things work. While they are all brilliant, their knowledge is severely lacking when it comes to sports. It would be best to give them some time to cool down while you get changed."

"Ladies?," Harry asked in fear. "You said only mum was angry with me, Padfoot."

"No," Sirius replied with a smirk. "She's just the angriest. Apparently Alex, Daphne and my wife are also upset with you. Oh and you can add your other friend, I think her name is Hermione, to the list too."

"Do you think I should talk to them?"

"Yeah, but I would wait awhile if I were you," James answered his son.

Daniel wasn't sure what his dad and uncle were talking about, but he knew an angry Lily wasn't good for anybody. If his mum was upset with his brother, there was a good chance she would ground Harry when he got home, and Daniel could see his time flying with his older brother suddenly disappearing.

"But Harry's not going to be in trouble, right dad? He's a genius. He'll be able to calm mom down."

Before Harry could think to console his little brother, he heard Sirius say, "Looks like it's too late for you to leave, pup. The ladies have arrived and they do not seem to be happy right now.

When Harry turned around, he saw the throng of Hogwarts students that were around them, part in front of the five women that were walking his way. With his enhanced vision, he could literally see all of them all glaring at him, and suddenly he felt more afraid than he did under Voldemort's piercing gaze.

"What are you going to do now, Harry?," Daniel asked his brother hesitantly.

"Like you said baby brother...I am a genius. And I'm going to do what any genius would do when faced with this situation."

James was amused by his son's response and asked, "And what exactly would that be, kiddo?"

When Harry saw that the group of angry women were about to reach their position, he quickly bent down and picked up his fallen Nimbus off the ground.

Turning to face his father, he flashed him the Potter smile that he inherited from the man and said, "It's simple dad..I'm going to run away as fast as I can."

With that, Harry raced towards the locker room as fast as his legs could carry him. Behind him he could hear his family laughing loudly at his actions, but he didn't care. He was a genius after all. Why would he stand there and get yelled at, when the Weasley twins had a perfectly good party for him to celebrate today's victory. Yup...he did exactly what any self respecting genius would do.

* * *

With the first Quidditch game of the year out of the way, time at Hogwarts began to fly by for the fab five. Their Study Center started off slow, but after a few weeks the handful of students they were tutoring spread the word, and soon PAL became known throughout the school.

On any given day the Center would be packed with students from all Houses, and Harry was thrilled that there hadn't been too many fights between rivals. For the most part everyone accepted that the Center was neutral territory, and those who came stuck to getting their work done.

In between helping the students learn magic and working on his DADA book, Harry began to make plans for the Philosopher's Stone. In his old world he learned that the stone Albus placed within Hogwarts had not been given freely, but was stolen from the Flamels.

At first Dumbledore asked to borrow the stone from its creator, but when the man refused to give it to him, the headbastard tried to take it by force. The ensuing battle cost Nicholas and his wife Perenelle their lives, and Dumbledore covered up his actions by stealing their personal library and burning their house to ashes.

After reading through his journal, Harry knew Dumbledore was pissed when the stone was destroyed in his fight with Quirrellmort. Even though the bastard bound Fawkes to him using dark magic, and was leaching life energy and magic away from the Phoenix, he planned to use the stone to make himself young again. The headbastard had a dream to forge Magical Britain as he saw fit, and then rule over it for eternity.

Thankfully this particular vision was ruined by Harry, and he had no reason to let this world's Dumbledore try the same thing now. For the past month Harry had been working on a way to replace the stone with a fake, but it was slow going, because Dumbledore would be able to spot most replicas.

Luckily Harry had an ace up his sleeve. Thanks to the inheritance he received when Dumbledore illegally adopted him in his old world, Harry had all of Nicholas' notes on the stone. While the old man's journal wasn't complete and he couldn't create a working stone of his own, it was enough for Harry to make one that would be able to fool the headbastard.

Unfortunately the process was incredibly time consuming, and Harry would Shadow Walk every day to his Manor on the Island. After nearly six weeks of working through most nights, Harry finally had something to show for all of his hard work. The replica stone he created was physically identical to the original one in every way, and the only method one could tell that it was a fake, would be to try to use it.

With only two days to spare before the end of term, Harry was finally ready to steal the stone for himself. He waited until he was sure everyone in the Castle was sleeping soundly, and then he Shadow Walked directly to the Chamber on the third floor that held the stone.

As soon as he arrived, Harry was stunned to see the Mirror of Erised in the room. The ancient object was an ornate mirror, with clawed feet and a sparkling gold frame inscribed with the phrase "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi."

In his old world the Mirror had been kept in an abandoned classroom near the Library, where he found it after receiving his dad's invisibility cloak during Christmas. The Mirror wasn't moved until some time during the second term, when Dumbledore decided to use it to store the stone. Apparently his god brother was too emotionally sound for Dumbledore to use the Mirror to manipulate him, and the old man must have moved it to this Chamber earlier in this world.

Harry cautiously made his way to the Mirror and cast several detection Charms on and around the object. He was surprised when he only found two Charms present. The first was a simple alert Charm that would inform Dumbledore that someone was standing in front of the Mirror and the second was a Freezing Charm that would make the person in front of the Mirror immobile until Dumbledore arrived. Overall Harry was disgusted that the Headmaster would use such pitiful spells to protect an object as valuable as the Philosophers Stone. Especially since he knew the Dark Lord was after it.

While he had no doubt that Dumbledore had even more alert Spells set around the traps he placed leading up to this Chamber, Harry knew those traps were meant for a first year to get through, and they wouldn't be able to stop even the shade of Voldemort. The Headmaster's entire plan hinged on a foolish notion that Quirrell wouldn't be able to remove the stone from the Mirror.

It took several minutes for Harry to contain his anger over the headbastard's arrogance, but when he was finally able to reign in his temper, he realized the old man's pride was actually a benefit to him this time.

Once he was ready Harry conjured another mirror and carefully transferred the Charms Dumbledore placed on the Mirror of Erised to it. He then cast another round of detection Spells just to be sure, and when they came up negative, Harry took a deep breath and stood in front of the Mirror.

Erised was backwards for desire, and that was exactly what the Mirror showed, the deepest most desperate desire of one's heart. In his old world that had been his parents for Harry, but when he stood in front of it now, he was surprised to see only an image of himself staring back at him. The Mirror version of him winked once, and then patted the pocket on his right side. When the real Harry did the same thing, he could feel the solid bulge of the stone there, and grinned happily back at his counterpart.

Harry quickly removed the stone from his pocket and once again cast his detection Charms on it. This time he found a tracking Charm that was perfectly blended with a dark curse that was layered all around the stone. The curse would activate if anyone but Dumbledore tried to use the stone or move the Charm.

Normally Harry wouldn't have been able to bypass this particular security feature, but thanks to the Goblins he became friends with in the time Chamber in his old world, he learned several of the methods they used to move curses from dark objects they found in tombs. While a part of Harry was thrilled that the old man wasn't as stupid as he first assumed, he still winced at the time it would take for him to transfer the curse to his replica.

It took Harry an hour and a half of painstaking work, but he was finally able to transfer the tracking Charm and the dark curse, safely to his fake stone. Once he replaced the fake inside the Mirror of Erised, Harry grabbed the original and Shadow Walked directly to the vault room of the Manor on his Island.

As soon as he arrived, Harry saw Hedwig appear in a flash of blue fire, and smiled when the majestic creature landed on his shoulder. Before he could greet his familiar, Harry heard her voice echo inside his mind.

"_~This is a dark object, hatchling.~_"

"_~What? But this is the Philosopher's Stone, Hedwig. It's supposed to be able to create the Elixir of Life. How could that be evil?~_"

"_~Humans were not meant to live forever, hatchling. Immortality always has a price. I can sense the life energy of hundreds of souls in the stone you carry.~_"

When he heard his familiar's reply, Harry almost dropped the stone in disgust. He always thought that the Flamels made this through the power of Alchemy, but he should have known better than to believe that it was all that was involved in making something as powerful as the stone.

"_~Should I destroy it, Hedwig?~_"

"_~That is up to you, hatchling. But the price for it's creation has already been paid. Just because it was made through dark actions, does not mean it can't be used for good. I can sense that the healing properties of the stone are almost enough to rival my tears.~_"

"_~D...d..does it still need sacrifices to work?~_"

"_~No, young one. The stone is complete. It's creator has already paid the price required to make the stone.~_"

As held the crimson stone in his hand, Harry was trying to decide what to do. A part of him was disgusted at the lives used to make the stone work, but a larger part realized that his familiar was right. While he would never try to make a stone for himself, now that he was in possession of one, it didn't mean he couldn't put it to good use. Voldemort would be returning to a new body soon, and when that happened, Harry knew he would need every advantage he could get to keep the people he loved safe.

"_~You're right, Hedwig. I think we should hold on to the stone for now. With Voldemort coming back soon, you never know when we might need it.~_"

"_~Too bad we didn't share this type of bond in our old world, hatchling. You do well when I'm there to guide all of your actions.~_"

Harry stared into Hedwig's piercing blue eyes and mock glared at his familiar.

"~_ . Hedwig. Very funny. I never knew you were a comedian.~_"

Hedwig gently whacked Harry across the back of the head with her wing.

"_~Of course I am, young one. I have a great sense of humor. Everyone says so.~_"

Harry shook his head gently at the strangeness he now called his life, and then he found himself staring out the window that was in front of him. Outside he could see the beautiful white beach and behind it the ocean glistened under the pale moonlight. The entire sight was so serene and peaceful, Harry could feel the calming influence it was having on him.

"_~This Island really is a beautiful place, girl. One day when I'm older, I can see myself living here with Alex and Daphne.~_"

"_~It would make a good home, hatchling. Perhaps you should name this place, instead of just calling it the Island.~_"

Harry silently contemplated his familiar's suggestion, and after a moment he thought of the perfect name for the Island he called home for two years.

"_~How about Serenity?~_"

"_~A very fitting name, my young one. Very fitting indeed.~_"

* * *

The day after Harry's theft of the stone, also happened to be the last day of school before the Yule break. Since the students were all too excited to think about anything else, the teachers decided to cancel classes for the day.

After the long night he spent stealing the stone, Harry was just thankful for the chance to sleep for a little longer. He even left Neville a note, begging off of their normal morning workout. By the time Harry actually made it down for breakfast the Great Hall was still packed with students, and it was obvious to him that the others had also taken the chance to sleep in.

When his stomach rumbled loudly in hunger, Harry was quickly reminded of his need for food, and he made his way straight to the Gryffindor table. No sooner did he sit down and grab a plate full food, was his meal interrupted by the arrival of a large brown Ministry owl.

Harry glared hatefully at the animal for a moment, and then retrieved the two letters with his name on it. Despite his obvious hunger, Harry immediately recognized one the letters as his examination results. His curiosity over how he did, trumped his need for food and he quickly tore open the thin envelope bearing the Ministry seal.

**Hadrian James Orion Potter-Peverell-Daniels:**

**_O.W.L. Grades:_**

O=Outstanding

EE=Exceeds Expectations

A=Acceptable

P=Poor

D=Dreadful

T=Troll

**_Single Test Examination_**:

Dueling=O(Highest score on record)

Flying=O

Healing and First Aid=EE

Human Languages(French)=EE

Human Language(Italian)=EE

Non-Human Language(Gobbledegook)=EE

Physical Education=O

Politics and Law=O

Wizarding Etiquette=O

**Multiple Test Examination(Combined Score):**

Ancient Runes(OWL and NEWT)=O(Highest score on record)

Muggle Studies(OWL and NEWT)=EE

Potions(OWL and NEWT)=O(Highest score on record)

Defense Against the Dark Arts(OWL and NEWT)=O(Highest score on record)

Congratulations Mr. Potter-Peverell-Daniels. You have achieved a total of 13 OWLs and 4 NEWTs.

Sincerely,

Madam Professor Griselda Marchbanks

Head of the Wizarding Examination Authority

Harry allowed himself a brief moment to bask in his achievement, and then opened the second letter that came from the Ministry.

_Dear Lord Peverell-Daniels,_

_I apologize for the delay in your examination results, my Lord, but I had them re-tested just to make sure. When you first petitioned to take these exams as a first year, I admit I believed this to be a terribly played hoax. I even went so far as to make sure you were given the hardest test we could arrange for you in each subject, and you passed all of them with flying colors. _

_In all my years of testing students for their OWLs and NEWTs, the one name that always outshined the others in my mind was Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. After seeing the scores you achieved at the age you are at, I can safely say your name will one day surpass the Legend of the Chief Warlock. _

_I have been fortunate enough to live through Headmaster's rise to greatness, and I pray that I will live long enough to see yours. You are truly a brilliant young man and I wish you nothing but the best for your future. I would also like to take this time to humbly beg your forgiveness for doubting your ability, my Lord._

_Sincerely,_

_Madam Professor Griselda Marchbanks_

_Head of the Wizarding Examination Authority_

After he slipped both letters into the pocket of his robe, Harry returned his attention back to his breakfast. As he took a bite of the eggs off of his plate, Harry thought of what the letter meant for his future.

Madam Marchbank's reaction to his scores was exactly what he was hoping for, and now it was time to spread the results to the masses. In order to achieve the notoriety that he wanted to have, Harry realized he would need the best PR that money could buy. Of all the people who could help him with that process, only one name kept rising to the top of the pile...Rita Skeeter. Thankfully Harry had an offer she couldn't refuse, and Christmas break was the perfect time to hire the reporter that everyone loved to read and lived to hate.


	17. Christmas Surprise

**Chapter 17: Christmas Surprise**

Harry cast a quick _Tempus _and saw that it was almost time for the Hogwarts Express to leave the station. The girls and Neville still hadn't come back from the errand he asked them to do, and now he was beginning to worry that the train would depart without them.

Just as he was about to get up and Shadow Walk back to the Castle to look for his friends, the door to the cabin opened, and they all came waltzing inside with a smile on their face.

"What took you guys so long? I thought the train was going to leave without you."

Neville grinned at the blushing Hermione and replied, "Apparently Hermione here got into a little altercation with some Slytherins."

"And what exactly happened in this small altercation?," Harry asked curiously.

"Nothing at all," a still blushing Hermione answered.

"It wasn't nothing, Mia," Alex told her friend, as she wrapped her arm around Hermione's shoulder. "You stuck up for yourself, and I'm proud of you for doing it."

Harry kept looking back forth between his friends, and rolled his eyes at their banter. "Ahh...I'd still like to know what happened. So if someone could explain it to me, that would really be nice."

Daphne grinned at the irritated look on her fiance's face and decided to take pity on her adorable, green-eyed beau.

"In order to save some time, the four of us split up our tasks equally," she explained to Harry. "Alex went to return some books we had to the library, while Neville and I spoke to McGonagall and Flitwick and gave the two of them your message about coming to Potter Manor later this evening. Meanwhile Hermione here was tasked with saving us one of the carriages going to Hogsmead station. By the time we finally finished our errands and arrived at the carriages, we found Mia in the middle of a shouting match with Parkinson, Nott, Zabini, and Bulstrode."

As soon as he pictured the scene in his mind, Harry felt a grin suddenly appear on his face. Hermione "By The Book" Granger had actually gotten into a fight. Sure he'd seen the other Hermione fight in his old world, but that was against Death Eaters, and it sure as hell never happened in her first year. At that age, she was more prone to running away or silently taking the abuse without any retaliation. It made him proud to see how far this Hermione had already come in this new world.

When he saw the rosy blush begin to appear on Hermione's face, Harry couldn't stop himself from teasing the brunette Ravenclaw. "Wow...I can't believe what I'm hearing, Mia. I never thought I'd see the day where Hermione Granger was caught getting into fights."

"I didn't start it, Harry," Hermione replied primly.

"But you sure as hell did finish it, Mia," Neville stated with a grin.

Hermione maturely stuck her tongue out at the boy who lived, and then focused her attention back on Harry. "Now that everything is done, can you please tell us why it was so important for Professors McGonagall and Flitwick to come to your parents' house tonight?"

Despite his desire to tease his best female friend a little more, Harry knew better than to withhold information while Hermione was this irritated.

"Alex and Daphne already know a little about my surprise, but I guess I'm ready to tell you and Nev about it now."

Daphne's eyes widened in surprise as she realized what Harry was talking about. "Merilin!," she exclaimed in awe. "Your cure worked! It actually worked."

Harry couldn't help but grin smugly at his beautiful blonde fiance's expression, and replied, "You are correct, my Lady. I already received a report from the Goblins yesterday and all six test subjects are now free of their furry little problem."

Hermione growled softly in frustration, as she watched Alex and Daphne jump up and down with joy. "Can Neville and I please know what cure you guys are talking about. Since neither one of us can make it to Potter Manor tonight, I don't think I can enjoy my break until I know what this cure is."

"Harry cured Lycanthropy, Hermione," Alex explained to her friend. "The Goblins have been testing the potion he created for the past few months, and based on the silly grin on I can see on his face, I would wager that all six of the test subjects involved in the trial no longer have to change into a Werewolf anymore."

Harry nodded his head in agreement and said, "Yup. All six patients are no longer considered to be Werewolves. I've been waiting for the results for a long time, and now that I got what I wanted, I plan on giving the cure to my Uncle Remus tonight. I was originally going to wait until Christmas, but the potion requires the subject to drink one vial every day for the week leading up to the full moon. If I want Moony to be cured for Christmas, than he has to take the first dose tonight."

Out of all things that Hermione was expecting to hear, the cure for being a Werewolf didn't even make her list of things to consider. From everything she'd read about the infliction, it was supposed to be incurable.

For centuries Potion Masters, Healers and Charm Specialists had attempted to find a cure for those that were bitten, but every single one of them failed to do so. The closest anyone came to helping those with Lycanthropy was the Wolfsbane potion created twenty years ago. She couldn't believe her friend, a fellow first year, had accomplished what all those others were unable to do.

"But that's impossible, Alex. How did you do it, Harry? Please tell me. I have to know. This has to be the greatest discovery since the time of the Founders. Tell. Me. Everything."

Harry shook his head at Hermione's eagerness and answered, "Well, it all began when I was eight years old and realized I was really good at Potions..."

* * *

Lily and James arrived at Kings Crossing moments before the Hogwarts Express was supposed to arrive. With the Blacks and Greengrasses busy with their last minute Christmas shopping, and Remus looking after the kids, the pair were more than willing to pick up Alex, Daphne and Harry and bring the kids back to Potter Manor with them.

Thankfully things had gotten much better between the girls and their son, and all three sets of parents were pleased that they wouldn't have to worry about any teenage drama between the trio.

As the Potters made their way from the apparation point across the street from the station, Lily's ears perked up at the mention of her eldest son's name.

"I can't wait to meet the friends Hermione has been writing home about, Emma. Especially the two boys. What were their names again? Oh yeah...Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter."

"David Granger, I swear to god you will not embarrass our daughter in front of her new friends. She has finally made connections with people her own age, and you will not try to ruin it by intimidating those poor boys in some twisted fatherly duty you believe you have to do. Besides, right now she is much too young date or even think along those lines. I expect you to be on your best behavior when we pick her up. Do you understand?"

When Lily looked around the station to see who was talking about her little boy, she saw a couple walking hand in hand towards the 9 3/4 platform. At 5'5" the gorgeous brunette woman in front of her was wearing six inch cream colored high heels, a black office skirt that went down to her knees, and a beige colored blouse. Even at a glance it was plain to see the woman was related to her son's friend Hermione.

The man walking beside her was easily 6'3" in height, and he was wearing black loafers, grey slacks and a black turtle neck sweater. Based on how broad his shoulders were, and how snugly his clothes clung to his body, it was obvious to anyone who saw him that the man was no stranger to working out.

Just before the pair reached the entrance to the platform, Lily reached the couple and said, "Excuse me. I'm sorry to bother the two of you, but would you happen to be Hermione Granger's parents?"

"Yes we are," David replied politely. "My name is David Granger, and this is my better half Emma. And you are, Miss...?"

"My name is Lily Potter and this is my husband James. Hermione is actually good friends with our son Harry, and we had the pleasure of meeting her a few weeks ago during the first Quidditch match of the season. You must be very proud, she is really a gifted young girl."

James nodded his head in agreement with Lily's statement. If his son wasn't already betrothed to two beautiful and talented witches, after meeting and spending some time with Hermione, he wouldn't have been opposed to her and Harry dating sometime in the future. She really was a talented witch and in many ways reminded him of how his wife used to be in her younger years.

"I definitely have to agree with Lily. If even half of what the kids tell us is true, I have no doubt when she graduates that Hermione will be taking my wife's title away from her."

"Oh," Emma asked curiously. "And what title would that be?"

"Smartest Witch of her generation," James replied, clearly proud of his wife's intelligence.

While Lily blushed and then rolled her eyes at the compliment from her husband, David and Emma proudly puffed out their chests in response to the praise their daughter just received. Neither one was comfortable sending Hermione to Hogwarts, but regardless they were thrilled that their little girl was doing so well there.

"Thank you both for saying that. To be honest, both Emma and I were uncertain about allowing Hermione to go to Hogwarts, but we're glad she is doing so well there. I just wish there was a way for us to see for ourselves how well she is doing. But from the letters she sent us, apparently she is forbidden from using Magic outside of Hogwarts."

Having been Muggle raised herself, Lily knew well the mixed feelings the Grangers must be be feeling. After all, she'd seen her own parents deal with not knowing about the Magical world.

Hoping to help the couple understand what their daughter was going through, she said, "I was Muggle raised before joining the Magical world, so I can understand how confused you must be feeling. While your daughter can't practice Magic at your home due to underage restrictions, we'd be happy to have all of you come to ours. That way Hermione can show you everything she has been learning at school."

"Wouldn't the underage restrictions also apply to your home?," Emma asked.

James shook his head before replying, "They do, but because of the massive wards around our house, the Ministry can't track underage Magic in our home. The same would hold true for any of the Magical families in our world."

David was a little miffed to hear the disadvantage his daughter was at. "That doesn't seem fair."

"You're right, Mr. Granger. It's not fair, but it is understandable."

"How so, Mr. Potter?," Emma asked. "And please, just call use by our names. There is no need to be so formal."

"Thank you, Emma, and please feel free to do the same for us," James replied with the famous Potter grin. "Unfortunately the rules for Muggleborn children while unfair, make sense because their parents are unable to practice Magic. Should an accident at home occur, they would have no way of fixing the mistake made by their child and could breach the Statute of Secrecy our world is built around. On the flip side, in a Magical home the parents are solely responsible for all the Magic their children do. While many do allow their kids to use their wands while away from Hogwarts, they are still limited in what they can do at home. Fines for Magical families violating the Statute of Secrecy are more than double in comparison to Muggleborn infractions, because the parents should have been monitoring the Magical activities of their children."

Both Grangers were slightly mollified by James' explanation, but they were still not happy with the situation.

"Isn't there something we can do so Hermione can practice Magic outside of school?," David asked. "I know how hard she works in her studies, and I don't want my daughter to be disadvantaged in any way."

"Short of hiring a private tutor, which can get very expensive, I'm afraid the Ministry has no programs to help Muggleborn kids in this regard. But if everything goes according to plan, hopefully by this summer we may have something to offer Muggleborn kids."

While the restriction against undergage Magic did make sense to her for Muggleborns, Emma was clearly disappointed with the situation. But her ears perked up at hearing James' last statement.

"What does the Ministry have planned?"

The thought of the Ministry doing anything to help the Muggleborns made Lily simultaneously want to scream in frustration and laugh at the thought of the bigots in the Wizengamot doing anything to improve their society.

"The Ministry has nothing planned for the Muggleborns," Lily answered. "But my son's new company does. If everything gets approved like we hope it will, by this summer we intend to have a recreational center where all magical children can come and practice Magic. We plan on having several licensed instructors at the center, so all grade levels can be assisted with their summer assignments or any advanced reading they may be doing."

The Grangers were both thrilled to hear the news, but shocked that the company belonged to their son.

"I'm sorry, Lily, but did you say your son's company?"

Lily grinned at the surprised expression on David's face and replied, "Yes I did. Harry is quite the genius at runes, and he recently created an array that would allow Muggle technology to work around Magic. In the hopes of bringing our society into the modern world, my son started a company that will certainly help in making that dream a reality."

The two couples spent another ten minutes discussing the plans Marauder's Inc. had to help Muggleborns integrate into the Magical world more easily, before everyone realized the Express had already arrived.

Deciding to continue the conversation on Boxing day, when the Grangers would come over to Potter Manor for dinner, the two sets of parents quickly made their way through the barrier in front of them.

Luckily the Grangers had gone through first, because as soon as James and Lily made their way on to the platform, they were immediately bombarded by a stream of questions from the rabid media that instantly recognized the pair.

"**Lord Potter, is it true that you have become estranged from your son, since he took up his recent Lordships?**"

"No, that is not true at all. My son was, is, and always will be a Potter. Despite the Lordships he now claims, he will still continue to live at Potter Manor until he graduates from Hogwarts."

"**Lady Potter, how would you describe your lack of attention to your godson, Neville Longbottom?**"

"Due to the security concerns Madam Longbottom has in regards to her grandson, I haven't seen my godson as often as I like, but that has not prevented us from keeping in contact with one another on a regular basis."

"**Lady Potter, how do you feel about your new Pureblood status?**"

"While I'm thrilled to learn about my new heritage, a part of me will always view myself as a Muggleborn witch. I didn't get to know my birth parents, but I did know the parents that took me in and raised me as their own. I'm grateful for the time I spent with John and Lori Evans, and I will always consider them my mum and dad. It's because of them that I got a chance to really know both the Magical and the Muggle worlds."

"**Lord Potter, how do you feel about your son testing out of Hogwarts?**"

"I'm happy that my son...wait. What do you mean testing out of Hogwarts?"

"The official transcripts have not been released by the Ministry yet, but it has been confirmed that Lord Peverell-Daniels achieved 13 OWLs and 4 NEWTs for the exams he took on November 7th. Are you telling us you had no idea about these tests? Do you still believe you are not estranged from your son."

James was stunned Harry didn't tell Lily and him about the tests he'd taken, but he knew his son would have a reason for not mentioning it.

"While my wife and I were not aware of the tests Harry has taken, we trusted our son enough to emancipate him early, and so he does not need to tell us everything he is doing. He is an adult not only in our eyes, but also in the eyes of the law, and we have faith in him to make the right decisions. Based on the incredible scores he already achieved, it's obvious to us that his decision to take the test was a smart one."

Before the reporters could call out any more questions, James nodded his head at the Aurors assigned to the Hogwarts Express guard duty that day and once they began to push the reporters to the end of the platform, he quickly moved his wife away from the rabid media.

As the couple went to find the children, James couldn't help but notice the hurt look on his wife's face. He knew how much she enjoyed her new relationship with their eldest son, and he really hoped the kid had a good reason for not telling them about the tests he took.

* * *

Harry walked down the stairs of Potter Manor, with the file Ripclaw sent him firmly held underneath his arm. Things had been awkward since his parents picked him and the girls up from the station. At first he didn't realize what the problem was, but when his dad mentioned how hurt his mother was with not knowing about the tests he took, Harry felt a little guilty.

His parents had no idea that he was a nineteen year old that had not only survived a second Wizarding War, but had also been taking care of himself since he was four years old. As far as they were concerned, he was a brilliant eleven year old making adult decisions all by himself.

After the minimal relationship his counterpart had with the family, Harry could kind of understand why his parents were upset about the "new" him making such a big decision on his own. Since they didn't know about the training he already received in his old world, they would have no idea how easy the tests had been for him. After all, he wasn't really a kid learning things for the first time. He was a trained warrior tested and proven through the flames of battle.

As he made his way towards the living room, Harry promised himself that he would would make things right with his parents. His entire life he wished they had been around to help him, and now that they were actually there for him, he wouldn't miss out on asking for their advice in the future.

With his mind now set to fix the situation later in the evening, Harry took a deep breath and made his way to his awaiting family. The moment he entered the living room, Harry could tell that everyone was already there.

Along with his family, the Blacks, and the Greengrasses, there was also Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, as well as Madam Bones and her guard, Mad-eye Moody. When he saw everyone look up at him, Harry waved at his friends and family and flashed them all a smile.

"Thank you all for coming here on such short notice. I'm sure you're all wondering what I would like to talk to you about this evening."

Before he could continue any further, Harry was interrupted by his sister Rose. "We already know, Harry. The reporters told mum and dad that you took your OWLs a few weeks ago."

Harry mock glared at his sister and replied, "While I did plan on telling everyone about that later, Rose, that is not why I called for this meeting."

Professor McGonagall was stunned by the news. Since she and Flitwick had only arrived moments before Harry entered the room, neither one of them had learned of their favorite student's latest adventure.

"My word, Mr. Potter," McGonagall exclaimed. "I thought you invited Professor Flitwick and I here to talk about your becoming an Animagus. I had no idea you had recently taken your OWLs. How did you do?"

No sooner were the words out of the Professor's mouth, that James and Sirius jumped up excitedly. "You're an Animagus/What are you, pup?", they called out simultaneously.

Harry winced at the dangerous look that suddenly appeared in his mother's eyes, and he knew she had every right to be angry with him. Self Transfiguration is a very dangerous form of Magic, and he was well aware that it was deadly for anyone that didn't have a developed Magical core. Since he was technically only eleven years old and just recently gained access to his Magic, he could easily understand the reason behind her anger.

Hoping to prevent his mum from killing him before he could even break the news about his discovery, Harry quickly answered Professor McGonagall.

"Sorry Professor. The Animagus thing was something else I was going to share with my parents after this announcement. And I did well in my tests."

Not willing to let the matter go, Minerva arched an eyebrow at her Lion cub and said, "Would you mind elaborating a little more, Mr. Potter?"

When he realized he wouldn't be able to get to his news until he appeased the Transfiguration teacher, Harry reluctantly pulled out his Ministry results from his ever present Moleskin pouch and made a dozen copies before passing them out to everyone.

As she read through the her son's OWL scores, Lily couldn't help but feel thrilled at his brilliance. The fact that he held the highest scores in three separate subjects, was only superseded by the fact that he had done so without even completing his first year at Hogwarts.

"This is truly remarkable, Mr. Potter," Filius called out excitedly. "I never had any doubts about your intelligence before, but now I believe you have been severely holding yourself back in class. I'm curious if you could do the same in the rest of your subjects."

Still not used to being praised for his work, Harry felt himself blush at the compliment. "Thank you, Professor Flitwick. While I do believe I can easily test out of all the core subjects today, I have no intention of bypassing any further classes. I want to enjoy the time I have with my friends at Hogwarts, and since I want PAL to be successful, I felt that testing out of Runes, Potions, DADA and an elective would give me the time that I would need to help my fellow students. The other tests that I took are not really offered by Hogwarts, so they don't really affect my schooling in any way."

As he looked through the rest of Harry's results, Filius was surprised to see the distinction his favorite student received in duelling.

"Not to sound insensitive, Mr. Potter, but I'm curious how you did so well in duelling. If I'm not mistaken, I believe your medical malady wasn't resolved until a few months before you began Hogwarts. Where did you receive your training?"

The moment he took his test for duelling, Harry knew someone would ask him this question, and so he already had an answer ready. "I've never really had any formal training, Professor. I'm self taught."

When he saw the tiny Charms teacher stare at him intently, Harry continued with the rest of his made up story. "As you all know, I thought I was a squib for the longest time. Despite that, I still did everything in my power to try to learn Magic. At night I would sneak into the Potter duelling room and practice with the dummies my father had placed there. Since I didn't have any Magic to fight back with, I used the time to learn how to dodge incoming spells. As a duelling Master yourself, I trust you can see how beneficial such a skill would be?"

Once the half Goblin nodded his head in agreement, Harry finished the rest of his fabricated tale. "I know most of you are now aware of my prolific memory. During my time reading through the books in Potter library, I already knew the incantation and wand movements for several higher level spells. Once I reached Hogwarts it took me a few weeks to practice all of the spells that I had memorized, but after I was able to complete them properly, I saw no reason not to take the duelling test. Though I admit, I am surprised at the distinction I received in the subject."

Harry waited a moment to see if anyone had anything else to ask, and when no one spoke up, he decided it was time for the big reveal.

"The reason I called you all here today, was in a large part because of Uncle Moony."

Remus was surprised by to learn the meeting was about him, and blushed when he felt everyone begin to look in his direction. "What do I have to do with anything, cub?," he hesitantly asked his pseudo nephew.

Harry walked up to the rocking chair Remus was sitting in, and took a knee in front of the nervous man.

"You are without a doubt one of the smartest Wizards in Magical Britain, Uncle Moony, and it's a shame that your furry little problem has prevented you from achieving the success that you so rightly deserve. Even though I kept my distance from you growing up, I never once stopped admiring your resilience in the face of adversity. Despite the bigotry and unfairness you were constantly subjected to, you never once let them break your spirit. I know you don't realize it, but when I thought I was nothing more than a squib, you were my inspiration to keep moving forward."

Harry then pulled out the file he received from Ripclaw, and handed it to his adoptive Uncle. "Happy Christmas, Moony."

Remus was touched by his cub's words, and it took all his self control to not cry at the touching moment. When he saw Harry offer him a file, he was confused by the gift, but still accepted it graciously.

As he began to flip through his gift, Remus read through the contents, and he felt his heart beat faster with every word.

"Is this a joke, cub?", Remus growled. "Because it really is a bad one."

Harry stared into his Uncle's sky blue eyes and replied, "I would never joke about something this important, Uncle Moony. I swear to you it's true. If you want, I'm more than ready to take an unbreakable vow to prove to you it's not a prank."

The moment the words registered in his mind, Remus dropped the file in his hands, and embraced Harry tightly. No longer able to restrain his overwhelming emotions, the Werewolf ignored the tears that were falling down his face, and thanked the boy in his arms for making his dream become a reality.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Harry. You don't know how much this means to me."

The rest of the group stared at the pair in astonishment. Finally unable to contain their curiosity any longer, James and Sirius got up and rushed over to the fallen file. As soon as they read through it's contents, they stared at each other in surprise, and then simultaneously joined in the heartfelt embrace Remus and Harry were in.

Amelia Bones sat patiently through the entire spectacle. The numerous revelations about Harry Potter had certainly been a surprise for her hear, but none of them actually required her presence. As the head of the DMLE her free time was incredibly precious to her, and she found herself wondering why she was even asked to be here.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this heartfelt moment, Mr. Potter, but I'm curious as to why I was asked to be here. Whatever you and Mr. Lupin are involved with, it obviously seems to be a family matter, and one that does not require my presence."

Before Harry could respond to Amelia, his father beat him to the punch. "My son cured Lycanthropy, Amelia, and the file shows the results of the six test subjects that already took his potion."

The entire room was suddenly filled with people asking questions or just celebrating the good news. Harry let everyone have a moment to rejoice, before he raised his hand and calmed everyone down.

"I'm sorry for all the mystery, Madam Bones, but the surprise was for Moony. I'm ready to answer any questions that any of you may have."

"How is this possible, Mr. Potter?," Amelia asked.

Harry took a moment to gather his thoughts, and then began to answer the question everyone was waiting to hear. "As you all know, Lycanthropy is a condition where the infliction is passed via a Werewolf bite. For centuries people have tried to "kill" or remove the virus, but all of them failed to do so. In my attempts to find a cure, I too fell into the same problem. The virus that causes Lycanthropy simply can't be killed. It was at this time that I decided to try an alternate approach. According to my understanding, Werewolves are really a bastardized version of Animagi that are forced to shift during a full moon. Wolfsbane actually manages to subdue a person's inner wolf and allow them to stay in control during their transformation. With me so far?"

When Amelia nodded her head in agreement, Harry continued with his explanation. "Since I was unable to kill the virus, I thought about trying to alter its function. By combining Wolfsbane, the Animagus revealing potion, and a mixture of my own creation, I was able to change the virus and force the subjects to turn from Werewolves into wolf Animagi."

The past four months, Gringotts has been running a trial of the potion with six test subjects that volunteered to take the cure. After ingesting one vial every day for the week leading up to a full moon, the subjects shifted from a Werewolf into an Animagus form. Since that initial shift, they no longer have a positive reaction to the Werewolf Identification Charm and for the past three months, none of them have shifted into their Werewolf form again."

"Like any other Animagi the subjects can turn into their wolf forms on demand, but that's it. None of the wolf forms have any of advanced healing associated with Werewolves, or even an allergic reaction to silver. Their new forms are in no way different from a regular wolf. The Goblins were quite thorough with their testing, and I have been assured that none of the test subject's wolf forms carry the virus. For all intensive purposes, it's as if they never had Lycanthropy to begin with."

Amelia was absolutely stunned by the revelation. If the young man in front of her was to be believed, his discovery would change the Magical world instantly. "If what you say is true, Mr. Potter, than you have single handedly changed our world for the better. Though I'm still curious as to why you wanted to share this discovery with me."

Harry smiled at the redhead and replied, "Because unlike the majority of the members in the Ministry, you are not a bigot, Madam Bones. Unfortunately all six of the test subjects were not registered under the Werewolf registration Act, and it would be easy for someone to claim that they were never Werewolves to begin with. Since I'm worried the Ministry would try to prevent me from continuing my work if they learned about my potion, I was wondering if you would be willing to contact some of the registered Werewolves on my behalf. If my cure continues to hold true with them, when I make my case to the ICW this summer, I can show them proof that the potion does work. Once the ICW is forced to accept the cure, I plan on Marauder's Inc. providing the potion free of charge to any Werewolf that wants to take it."

Amelia could see how quickly people like Umbridge would try prevent this cure from coming out, and was once again impressed with the young man's thinking. "Sadly you are correct in your assumption, Mr. Potter. Many people would try to prevent your cure from becoming a reality. If you will grant me permission to speak with the Goblins and the test subjects, once my concerns have been addressed, I would be more than happy to speak to our registered Werewolves on your behalf."

Harry bowed his head slightly and said, "Your stipulation is readily accepted, Madam Bones. I'll inform my Account Manager to provide you with any details you require and give you the contact information on all six of the test subjects in our trials."

As soon as her conditions were met, Amelia no longer saw any further reason to stay at the Manor. She quickly rose from her chair and extended her hand out to the brilliant young man in front of her. "Thank you for inviting me to this momentous occasion, Mr. Potter. It's obvious you are someone that will cause shockwaves throughout our little community, and I for one look forward to what you come up with next. I'll be sure to contact you within the next couple days."

After Harry shook hands with the older woman, he watched as Amelia and Moody made their way towards the fireplace in the hallway. Suddenly he remembered something else his departing guests could help him with, and while everyone was busy talking to Remus, he quickly made his way to the departing pair.

Just before they could reach the fireplace, Harry caught up with the duo and called out, "One second, Madam Bones. I had one more thing that just came to my mind."

Amelia turned around at the sound of Harry's voice. "What else can I help you with, Mr. Potter?"

"Actually, this time I was hoping Auror Moody could help me."

After everything Moody had learned about the kid today, he was definitely curious as to what the boy wanted with him. "Sure thing, kid. What can I do for you?"

Harry pulled out the only completed copy of the book he wrote and handed it to the senior Auror. Despite his experience in his old world, no one in this world knew of his abilities. If he wanted his book to become the new standard for DADA classes, Harry knew he would need the backing of an experienced Auror. And there was no one in the world better than Moody in helping him achieve just that.

"What the hell is this, kid?"

"It's a book I wrote for DADA. Recently some students were less than thrilled by our current instructor in the subject, and since I'm quite good in defense many of my peers have asked me to help them through the class. I'm hoping you will read through it and tell me if you find anything that I might have written down wrong. While I'm more than capable of combining the knowledge I retained from the several books I read on DADA, I lack the experience to properly portray the combat tactics I have put in there. I'm hoping you could point out any errors that I may have made. Naturally I would gladly compensate you for your time and experience."

Alastor quickly glanced through the book, and he was immediately surprised on how through it was. "How much?"

"As long as you're brutally honest, I'd be willing to pay you 250 galleons for you time. Since I know all senior Aurors get Christmas holidays off, I would like to get the book back at your earliest convenience. Hopefully before the end of break, since I want to use the book to help teach the students that asked for my help."

Moody's good eye widened at the amount being offered, and since he would have the time to do it, he saw no reason to not accept the job. "You got yourself a deal, kid. But don't come bitching to me if you don't like what I have to say."

Harry grinned and nodded head. "As long as you can explain why you think something is wrong, I'm ready for any criticism you can throw my way, Moody."

Once Amelia and Moody flooed back to her office, Harry quickly returned to the living room. As soon as he walked in, he grinned at the sight of everyone celebrating his discovery. Apparently the house elves had brought out food and drinks for everyone, and it looked like the gathering had turned into a party.

Before he could even think to join them, he saw his godfather standing next to Professor McGonagall and his parents, beckoning him to join them.

"What can I do for you Uncle Padfoot?," Harry asked his godfather.

"Well, pup. Now that you have revealed you great discovery to everyone, how about you show us your Animagus form. Minnie here says you're a black cat, and I for one would love to see it. I haven't had a chance to run around for awhile now, and Minnie refuses to indulge my inner dog. So what do you say, pup, want to play some tag with you dogfather? I promise to go easy on you."

When he looked over at his Transfiguration professor, Harry could see her fighting against the smile on her lips. Deciding to play along with her little prank, Harry replied, "Sure thing, Padfoot. I'll play tag with you."

Harry waited until he saw Sirius turn into his large grim-like form, and then eagerly shifted into Altor. The moment he saw Sirius' eyes widen at the sight of his massive black Bengal tiger form, Harry began to chase his terrified godfather all around the room.

Minerva grinned at the sight in front of her, proud of the prank she pulled off on one of the Marauders. When she turned back to James and Lily and saw their dumbstruck expressions, she couldn't ask for a better beginning to the holidays. After the years of the pranks she had to deal with from the pair, it was good to get one back at them.

* * *

As soon as the robed man apparated in front of the building, he was immediately surrounded by a dozen men with wands pointed in his direction. Rather than feel threatened, he flashed his dark aura and waited for his soldiers to recognize him.

Suddenly all of the men went down on one knee and slammed their fists to their chest.

"We are yours to command, my Lord," they all called out in unison.

The robed man approached one of the men and gently placed his hand on top of the man's blonde head. "Rise my soldiers. You have all done well, and now you may return to your duties."

Once all the other men had gone back to their jobs, the lone soldier that was left, got up and hugged the robed man. "It is good to see you again, my Lord. We have not seen you in many months."

"My apologies, Ivan, but my duties prevented me from coming any sooner. How is the prisoner?"

"He is alive, my Lord. As per your orders, we keep him to a loaf of bread, water and nutrient potions twice week. He is quite weak, but in no danger of dying anytime soon."

"Good. You and the Elite have done well in your assignment, Ivan. Know that I am pleased with all of you. Now, please open the prison door quickly. I have little time to spend here today, and I have to still meet our guest."

The two men made their way inside of the the building, and after going through four levels of deadly wards, they finally arrived at a steel door. Once Ivan opened the lock, the robed man motioned him away and entered into the tiny room.

Inside there was an old man chained to the wall like a common animal. His clothes were torn and full of grime. The holes were big enough to show signs of the obvious malnutrition and torture the man had been forced to endure.

Despite all of this, the old man's piercing blue eyes held power the likes of which few would ever see. If not for the runes carefully placed all across the floor preventing the prisoner from using his Magic, the robed man had no doubt his prisoner would be able to escape from his prison, even in his weakened state.

Walking over to the kneeling form of the prisoner, the robed man knelt down beside the old man, removed the covering from his face and said, "Hello, Albus. It's been awhile."

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, once proclaimed as the leader of the Light and the Defeater of the Dark Lord Grindelwald lay beaten and broken inside of his prison cell. For over forty years he spent locked away from the world, and even still he refused to forsake the Light.

Despite everything he had been forced to endure over the last few decades, he truly believed one day the Light would prevail. Until that day happened, he would not give up. He would not die. He would not allow his spirit to be broken.

When he heard someone call his name, Albus looked up and saw a healthy version of his own face smiling down at him.

"Hello, Gellert. I can't say it's good to see you. Have you come for more of my hair old friend?"

"I have, Albus. I hope you don't mind, but I'm no where near finished pretending to be you. The guards told me you haven't tried to escape for an entire month now. Keep this up old friend, and maybe we can do something to improve your diet. How about a nice steak for dinner?"

Albus was used to such banter. Ever since he was betrayed by the prison guards and replaced with Gellert in the Nurmengard prison, he had played this game with his old friend. For forty three years he had been kept as a prisoner.

At first he thought Gellert would be noticed masquerading around as him, but sadly the Magical world tossed aside any changes in their personalities as nothing more than oddities commonly seen in powerful Wizards.

Even the constant need for the Polyjuice potion was subverted through the use of the Lemon drops he so enjoyed in his youth. Who would suspect that his favorite candy was actually injected with the potion before hand.

"A steak does sound nice, Gellert," Albus replied, knowing that he would never see his request become a reality. "I would appreciate it if you had it cooked well. I'm not sure my body could handle a rare steak right now."

Gellert's eyes widened in surprise at the response, and he once again couldn't help but marvel at his old friend's indomitable will. "Why do you still fight, Albus? Join me. Give me an oath of your allegiance, and I'll have you moved out this hell immediately."

Albus grinned at the offer and slowly shook his head. "I will never join you, Gellert. Your path will lead to nothing but pain and destruction. In the end you will be defeated by the Light. and I will be there to see it."

Gellert hissed in annoyance, and casually struck Dumbledore across the face with a back hand. "You old fool. Even after all these years you go on and on about the Light. What has the Light ever done for you? You may have defeated me, Albus, but it's been you that has spent the past forty three years in suffering. Not me. Not one of your so called friends has ever discovered who I really am. It's time for you to realize there is no Light and Dark, Albus. There is only power, and those with the will to use it."

"You are just as old as I am, Gellert, and one day you will realize who the fool really is. For eons the dark has risen to rule the world, and every time the Light has turned it away."

"Perhaps you are right, Albus. Maybe the world can't be won by a Dark Lord. But that's not who I am anymore. Is it? To the masses I am you. The Greatest Light Lord since Merlin himself. Now that I have the Philosopher's Stone in my possession, once I take care of that puffed up half-blood, Riddle, I can begin to shape the world as I want it to be."

Albus barely managed to hide his shock at the news. Nicholas and Perennial had once been his mentors, and he knew how carefully they guarded the secrets behind the Stone. In the seven hundred years they had been alive, he knew for a fact they never once shared the secret behind, or the gift to the immortality that was in their possession.

"What have you done, Gellert?"

Grindelwald grinned at the righteous fury he could see in his old friend's eyes, and he couldn't wait to share his news about the Stone.

"What have I done? Oh nothing really. I just killed your precious mentors and stole everything they had. Why so angry, Albus?"

"They were good people, Gellert. You didn't have to kill them."

Grindelwald laughed when he heard Albus defend the Flamels. "Allow me to tell you how naive you have been in your life...old friend. The mentors you considered your family, the friends you considered to be the pinnacle of the Light, were nothing more than murderers. The Stone that granted them their immortality and great wealth, can only exist through the sacrifice of virgin blood. Trust me. I've ran dozens of tests on the Stone in my possession, and I can prove my words are true. In their quest to live forever your precious friends killed far more people than I ever have."

Albus was stunned by the news. From the years he'd spent with Gellert in the past, Albus knew his former lover was telling the truth. He couldn't believe the people he respected above all others, had committed such atrocities. It sickened him that he'd been fooled by their honeyed words.

Gellert felt his heart skip a beat at the pain that flashed across Albus' eyes. He knew how deeply his old friend cared about the Flamels, and he was sure that sharing the truth behind their immortality would be enough to break the last of Albus' faith in the Light. So far it seemed his plan was working.

Once his former lover was finally broken, Gellert would have Albus swear his allegiance to him. With the Philosopher's Stone now in his possession, he planned on ruling the world for a very long time. And he couldn't think of any one else to share his immortality with, than the only man he'd ever loved in his life.

"I will leave you to your thoughts now, Albus. But know this...the time for your final decision is soon approaching. Once I have finally dealt with Voldemort, I will begin my plans to take what is mine. On that day, I hope you will stand by my side once again. We can rule this world together."

As he made his way out of the prison cell, Gellert took solace in the fact that his offer wasn't immediately rejected. Soon he would have everything he worked hard for, and he would crush anything or anyone that got in his way. Albus and the world would be his.


	18. A Better Future for All

**Chapter 18: A Better Future For All**

Harry woke up to the sun beating down on his face, and silently cursed himself for forgetting to close his blinds before going to sleep last night. By the time everyone had actually left the impromptu party yesterday, the festivities had gone on well past midnight. Normally his mum and Aunt Amy would never let the younger kids stay up so late, but in honor of his great achievement they relented just once.

At the thought of his mum, Harry realized he still needed to apologize to his parents for not involving them in his decision to take the tests. It was tough being a grown adult trapped inside of a child's body, and he reminded himself that he didn't need to do everything on his own anymore. Now that he had a family to support him, it was time he allowed others to have a more prominent role in his plans for the future.

With his mind and body now unfortunately wide awake, Harry rolled out of bed and jumped into the shower of his private bathroom. After going through his morning ablutions he came back out and pulled on a pair of dark blue boot cut jeans, with a red t-shirt that fit a little too snugly across his well muscled chest.

Before leaving his room, Harry made sure to pick up the backpack which contained the Goblin cubes Ripclaw had sent him earlier in the week. If everything went smoothly after his talk with his parents, Harry wanted to be prepared to share the plans he had for the future with them and the cubes would be instrumental for his presentation.

As soon as we walked out of his bedroom, Harry was surprised by the aroma of bacon and sausages that was wafting through the hallway. The smell was enough to make his mouth water in anticipation of the food and he realized his mother was already up and making breakfast.

While Lily Potter's culinary skills were barely enough to be called adequate, Harry was confident his mother was more than capable of cooking a hearty breakfast for her family. When he walked into the kitchen, Harry was surprised to hear his mother singing softly to herself. The melody sounded hauntingly familiar to him, until he remembered she used to sing that particular song to his counterpart as a child.

As he watched his mother dance gracefully around the kitchen, humming softly to herself, Harry was once again amazed at how beautiful she was. In his old world Padfoot and Moony would often regale him with tales of how all the boys at Hogwarts would regularly be after her for dates, but even her pictures failed to do justice to her true beauty.

"Good morning, mum," Harry called out in greeting. "Can I help you with anything?"

Lily turned around to see her eldest son grinning at her and she couldn't help but smile back in return. "No need, sweetheart. Everything is already done, but if you want you can carry your own plate to the dining table."

Harry took the offered plate in his hand and then followed his mother through the door to the dining room. As soon as he walked in, he saw his father sitting in his normal seat at the head of the table, flipping through a copy of the Daily Prophet.

"Morning, dad. Where's everyone else?"

James Potter looked up at the sound of his son's voice and replied, "Morning, kiddo. Your siblings managed to talk their way into spending the night at Padfoot's house yesterday, but they should be coming back sometime in the afternoon. You up for a game of Quidditch later today?"

Harry eagerly nodded his head in return. "Sure, dad. I know Daniel and Rose really want to play too, so we can have a two on two match later."

Once Lily sat down in the chair across from her son, the trio silently ate their breakfast, each lost in their own thoughts. After awhile the silence grew slightly uncomfortable for Harry, and he took the time to figure out what he wanted to say to his parents.

Now that he was prepared to include Lily and James in his future decisions, he still needed to come up with a plausible backstory for some of the things that dealt with his past life. Several of his future plans for the Wizarding world would be incredibly expensive, and he needed a valid excuse to explain the fortune he brought with him from his old world.

By the time his parents were finished with their meal, Harry was ready with his apology.

"Dad, mum...I...I want to apologize for not telling you about the OWLs and NEWTs I took recently. I've just been doing things by myself for so long now, that I really didn't think to include you in my plans. I know that it's not a good excuse, and I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way."

Lily sighed once she heard Harry's apology. Yesterday she had been quite upset when she learned her son had made such a major decision in his life without consulting her or James first.

After years of being estranged from her eldest child, Lily loved being part of his life once again, and the mother in her wanted her son to need her as much as she needed him. But after the incredible announcement last night, she knew her baby boy would never need her like she wanted him to.

Since the day Harry came back home from Gringotts, he had surprised them again and again with his intelligence and maturity. Between his runic array, the company he started, and the Lordships that he claimed, she was well aware that her son wasn't a normal eleven year old child. He was brilliant in a way that came about only once in a generation, and after years of isolating himself, he was far more independent than she ever realized.

"I won't lie to you, sweetie. I was a little upset when I learned that you made such an important decision without consulting your father or myself, but your announcement last night reminded me that you are far more intelligent and mature than most adults can ever hope to be. Your father was right when he told the reporter that we emancipated you because we trusted you to make the right decisions. No matter how much I wish otherwise, you are an adult in the eyes of the law, and you no longer have to tell us everything."

Harry immediately felt guilty at his mother's words, and he didn't want his parents and family to think that he didn't need them anymore.

"I may technically be a legal adult, mum," Harry replied in a rush. "But I still need you and dad to be a part of my life. I don't want you to think that your opinion doesn't matter to me, because it does. I've just gotten so used to doing everything by myself, that I didn't think to involve the two of you in my plans. But that was the old me. I don't want to keep doing that anymore. I want you guys to be involved with all of my important decisions in the future, and I promise from now on I won't forget to tell you what I want to do."

Once she realized her baby boy still needed her in his life, Lily felt her heart jump with joy and a smile lit up across her face. Her maternal instincts suddenly went into overdrive and she jumped up, rushed around the table and hugged her son in a tight embrace.

Happy tears fell down Lily's face, as she cried softly against her eldest child. "I'm so happy to hear you say that, Harry. As much as your father and I believe in you and trust you to make the right decisions, I don't think either one of us is ready to stop seeing you as our little boy."

Harry gently pulled back from his mother's embrace and looked into her emerald green eyes. "You don't ever have to worry about that, mum," he replied with a warm smile. "No matter how old I get, I promise I'll always need you guys in my life."

James smiled at the pair in front of him, and once again marveled at how amazing his son really was. After a few moments he felt his own eyes begin to glisten at the sight, and in order to lighten the mood, he joked, "So, Harry. What's next? You going to cure world hunger now?"

Harry smiled at his father's teasing question and replied with a smirk, "Well now that you mention it..."

Lily and James briefly stared at each other in shock and then simultaneously turned towards their son and yelled, "REALLY?"

As soon as Harry saw the stunned expressions appear on his parents faces, he couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud.

"Sorry guys, but I haven't really cracked the whole world hunger thing yet. I do, however, have something in the works with the Goblins right now. Would you guys like to see what it is?"

Once he saw his parents nod their heads in agreement, Harry quickly grabbed the empty plates on the table and placed them on the chair next to him. Next, he opened up his backpack and pulled out the two cubes Ripclaw had sent him and placed them in front of his father.

James looked down at the white cubes in surprise. Their surfaces glistened with an unnatural perfection and he found himself curious as to what they were made of.

"What are these things, Harry?"

Harry smiled at the confused look his parents had and explained, "These are Goblin cubes, dad. A few weeks ago I sent my Account Manager some sketches I made and he sent me back the finished product as a 3D hologram that's stored inside both of these devices. I have to admit, the cubes are actually really cool. The runes on the top allow me to scroll up and down the length of the hologram, while the ones on the side allow me to zoom in and out. There are even a pair of runes on the back of each cube that allow you to enter and explore any highlighted buildings."

While Lily was eagerly looking at one of the cubes and wondering how the Goblins managed to project a 3D hologram from it, James was just excited to see what his son was going to show them.

Without wasting anymore time, Harry activated the first cube and suddenly the entire length of the dining room table was filled by the 3D projection of a beautiful village.

"Mum, dad, allow me to introduce you to the first fully modernized all Magical village and I call it, The Sanctuary."

"You're building your own village?," Lily asked in a mixture of awe and surprise.

"That's right, mum. But The Sanctuary isn't just a normal Magical village like Hogsmead or Godric's Hollow. I modeled it after some of the highest rated gated communities that can be found around the planet, and not only will this village provide the best of both the Magical and Muggle worlds, but I can guarantee that it will also be one of the safest places to live in all of Britain."

"How safe are we talking about, Harry?," James asked, as the former Auror in him perked up at the statement.

"Safer than living behind the Ministry wards, dad," Harry replied with a smirk. "The Sanctuary's security will be made up of twelve Goblin forged ward-stones, that will be strategically placed around the village for maximum support. The wards themselves will consist of three layers of protection, with each layer having both offensive and defensive capabilities. The village will even have a private floo system, with the only connection to the Ministry floo being at the security building located outside of the wards. To be honest, in all of Britain only Hogwarts or Gringotts would have better security."

When he heard his mother gasp in surprise, Harry could barely contain his own excitement and desire to share this particular dream with his parents.

"The front of the village starts where dad is sitting, and once the wards are up, it is also the only place for residents or their guests to enter or leave. That area is the community's security checkpoint, and I plan on having at least a dozen guards present at all times. Their sole responsibility will be to check all incoming people for Dark Marks, Dark objects, glamours and polyjuice potions. Regardless of whether you're just visiting or a permanent resident, everyone will be required to pass through security to enter the complex."

While she could certainly appreciate the level of security her son was talking about, unlike her husband, Lily found herself drawn to the rest of the sights on the holographic display.

"What is this area supposed to be, Harry?"

Harry looked at the section of the hologram his mother was pointing at and replied, "That would be The Sanctuary's downtown, or town square, mum. The three story building on the far right will be the administration office for the village. I plan on hiring someone to oversee the running of the community, and the location provides residents with a place to not only pay their bills, but also somewhere they can go in case they have any questions or complaints."

When he saw Lily nod her head in approval, Harry continued, "The building right next to it is the village's clinic. Since St. Mungos is normally packed with patients, I thought of having a small clinic that could handle any basic healing needs that the residents might have. To start off with I plan to hire two fully qualified Healers, four assistant Medi Witches, and a Potions Master to be on staff at all times. Any severe problems that they can't handle, would of course be immediately transferred to St. Mungo."

"What about this large circular building in the middle?," James asked curiously.

Harry looked at the building his father was pointing at, and answered with a grin, "That would be The Sanctuary's recreational center, dad. The bottom floor is a lounge that will serve tea, coffee, butterbeer, pumpkin juice, Muggle soft drinks and even alcohol to those who are of age. The second floor will be a food court that will provide a variety of fast food and ethnic cuisines. The third floor will contain the gaming section of the center and provide residents with a twenty one lane bowling alley, an arcade room, and a dozen pool tables. Finally the top floor will contain a cinema hall that has eighteen theatres."

Harry allowed his parents a few minutes to assimilate the information he had given them, and then showed them the final building that was part of the village's town square.

"Mum, the building on the far left is one I think you would appreciate a little more than dad."

Lily could easily hear the pride her son felt at the massive eight story structure, and she instantly found herself wondering what was so special about the building. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"It's a school, mum."

"A school, Harry? Wouldn't the kids from the village be going to Hogwarts?"

"It's not a Magical school, mum, but a Muggle based one." Harry explained. "Most kids in the Magical world only have a basic level education, that is usually provided by their parents or tutors through homeschooling before they turn eleven. From the complaints I've overheard from the Professors at Hogwarts, minus the children from elite Pureblood families, the majority of incoming Magical raised first years can barely read and write at a proficient level. Not only do these children lack the ability to properly write their essays for class, they also have little if any, knowledge in higher level maths and sciences. This school will hopefully change that."

"But who would teach the classes, sweetie? The Statue of Secrecy would prevent you from hiring teachers from the Muggle world."

"Finding teachers won't be as difficult as you think, mum," Harry replied knowingly. "Thanks to the bigotry found in our world, most Muggleborns are usually forced to leave the Magical world due to a lack of job opportunities. I've spoken to my Accounts Manager about it, and he's already given my several names of Witches and Wizards that currently work as teachers in the Muggle world, and with a little incentive, could be convinced to quit their jobs and teach at the village's school."

James was a little put out that his son didn't think he valued education as much as his wife, but if he was being honest he was more than willing to admit that Lily would probably appreciate the school a little more than him. What surprised him the most was how large the facility was. It was easily twice the size of the recreational center, and he wondered why there was a need for such a large building.

"It's more than just a school, isn't it, Harry?"

Harry grinned proudly at his father and nodded his head in answer. "You're right, dad. It is more than just a school. The bottom floor will be a daycare center where parents can leave the children who are too young to go to school. The first, second and third floor will be used to provide students with a complete Muggle education ranging from primary school all the way to secondary school."

"But how will kids complete their secondary education, if they go to Hogwarts?," Lily asked, knowing how hard it was for her to accomplish the deed during her own time at the Magical school.

"Mostly through summer school, and the monthly packets that will be sent to them throughout the year," Harry answered. "Look, I'm not saying it will be easy. But for those who are interested, at least now they will have the opportunity to have a complete education. Worse case scenario, they can always take the classes after leaving Hogwarts. I've already spoken to Ripclaw and he assured me the Goblins can make the school exist legally in the Muggle world, so graduates would easily be able to use their scores to get into a Muggle University."

"That still doesn't explain why the school is so big, kiddo," James replied.

"That's true, dad," Harry answered with a smirk. "The other floors do have their own uses. For example, the fourth and fifth floors will be used to teach and for at least the older kids, practice Magic when they are home for winter or summer break. Once children reach the age of ten, I want to give them a headstart on their Magical education by offering classes in Magical theory, History, and a beginners guide to Potions. For kids who already attend Hogwarts, tutors will be available to help with any homework or questions they might have over break."

"But what about the recreational center that Lily and I told the Grangers about? Doesn't that serve the same purpose?"

"It does," Harry agreed. "But the center Marauder's Inc is building in London is primarily for Muggleborns to practice Magic over the summer and to show their parents what they have learned at Hogwarts. While licensed tutors will be available on site, unfortunately at this time it will not act as a full fledged summer school like the one provided at The Sanctuary."

"Than why even build the Center?," Lily asked curiously. "Wouldn't it be easier to have everyone go to The Sanctuary?"

"Not exactly, mum. Since The Sanctuary is technically a gated community, guests are only allowed with an invitation from a permanent resident. Should Muggleborn students want to join our school during the summer, I would be more than happy to allocate them day passes for that time period. But I can only do that for children who are attending the school. For the kids that just want to practice Magic, or have a place to hang out, the center is a better place for them."

"What about the last three floors?"

"That, mum, will be taken up by the school's library. The sixth floor will be filled with Muggle books, both fiction and nonfiction. While the seventh and eighth floors will be completely dedicated to Magical sources. So far the only public library I've seen in the Magical world is a small shack at the end of Diagon Alley, and it doesn't even have more than a dozen books inside of it."

After a few minutes of watching his parents stare at the hologram on the table, Harry leaned over his father's shoulder and used the Goblin cube to zoom in and out of several different sections of the village.

"As you can see, The Sanctuary offers a wide variety of housing. Along with the two apartment complexes inside the village, future residents will also have the option to buy or rent two bedroom, three bedroom, or four bedroom houses, as well as the dozen Manor homes we have on site. Regardless of what option they decide to go with, the entire complex has the runic array I created already installed, so all tenants will have ready access to electricity. Unfortunately individual appliances would still need to have the runic arrays installed to work properly in the Magic rich environment, but luckily Marauder's Inc. is already in the process of adding the array to devices other than televisions."

Since there really wasn't much else about the housing that he could share with his parents, Harry used the Goblin cube to zoom in on a particular Manor located far away from the rest of the homes in the village.

When she saw her son zoom in on the massive Manor, Lily winced at the monstrosity. Easily twice as big as Potter Manor, she really hoped her son didn't want to live in such a gaudy home.

"Please don't tell me this is your house, sweetie. It's definitely gorgeous, but I'm sure even the Malfoys would think twice before moving into something so large."

Harry was momentarily surprised by the statement, but then shook his head in reply. "No, mum. You can relax. This isn't for me, or any of us to live in. Allow me to present to you the Lily-Flower Orphanage."

"The what?"

"The Lily-Flower Orphanage, mum," Harry answered with a grin. "Back when I thought I would have to leave you guys, I looked into several of the orphanages in London, and I didn't like what I found. Most of the places were understaffed, poorly funded and packed with too many children. Since the Magical world doesn't have an orphanage of their own, I wanted to provide one for the entire community. I kind of wish I could do something for the Muggle children as well, but for now LFO will look in to finding Squibs, Muggleborns, or even Purebloods that have been orphaned."

Lily was so thrilled by the news, that she ran over and wrapped her son into a tight hug. After a moment she pulled back and gently kissed him on the cheek. "I..I..don't know what to say, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you right now, that I can't even begin to tell you."

"Thanks, mum," Harry replied shyly. "Would you like to see the inside of it?"

"Can we?"

Harry answered by using the runes on the back of the Goblin cube, to project the interior of the Manor.

"The front half of the ground floor is split into a kitchen, a large dining area, and four offices for the Matron and her staff. The back half of the floor is a lounge that's similar to the common rooms at Hogwarts, but with more space for the kids to hang out. I even plan on providing several TVs and game consoles to the orphanage, so they can use the place for more than just sitting around. The next four levels will all be used for housing, with each level having thirteen bedrooms. One small bedroom for the adult responsible for the floor, and twelve large bedrooms for the children. The bedrooms for the kids are the same size as the dormitories at Hogwarts and each can comfortably hold five kids in a room. Since LFO will be a co-ed house, I even made sure that each of the rooms will be warded to prevent the opposite sex from entering."

Harry smiled as he felt his mother's hand brush through his hair, and then curl around his shoulder. Ever since he was a kid he dreamed of his mother showering him with attention, and now that he had it, frankly he couldn't get enough of it. Though a small part of him did feel guilty for claiming the entire idea behind The Sanctuary, but unfortunately he couldn't be honest with his parents about its creation.

Truthfully the idea behind The Sanctuary was something Hermione and he came up with during their stay in the time chamber in his old world. With the number of homes, both Muggle and Magical, that were being attacked by the Death Eaters at the time, once the war was over the two of them wanted to create a place where people could feel safe from such attacks in the future.

Even though in this world Voldemort had yet to make his return, Harry decided to build the village early, so that the newly cured Werewolves would have a place to go.

"This is absolutely wonderful, Harry," James exclaimed, completely unaware of his son's inner turmoil. "But isn't this place a little too big for an orphanage? I doubt if you went through every orphanage in the UK, you would find more than thirty Magical kids. Here you have enough space to house over two hundred."

"That's true, dad, but thanks to the Goblins I have a way to expand my search to other countries."

"How so?"

"Well I don't know how the Goblins actually do it, dad, but they have their own methods for locating underage Witches and Wizards. For a hundred and fifty galleons per case, they are willing to find any Magical children living in an orphanage, legally adopt them through the LFO, and provide each kid with a complete set of Muggle and Magical identification papers."

James shook his head in awe at was his son was trying to accomplish. Never in his wildest dreams did he think something like this would happen in the Magical world, and today he was proud it was his Harry that was doing it.

"You really are incredible, kiddo. You know that? This village you want to build, is beyond anything I could ever have imagined for our world. I can't even begin to tell you how impressed I am with everything you've come up with."

Harry felt himself blush at his father's praise, and his chest puffed out in pride. "Thanks, dad, but the tour isn't over yet."

"It isn't?"

"Nope. I still have one more thing in the village I want to show you."

James watched his son fiddle with the strange Goblin cube and suddenly the holographic projection returned to that of an aerial view of The Sanctuary.

"Here's something I think you would definitely like, dad. This is the James Potter Park."

"You named a park after me?," James asked with a big grin on his face.

"Yeah, but this isn't just any old park, dad. It's the ultimate park and it takes up the entire back end of the village. On the far left we have not one, but two regulation size Quidditch pitches. Next to that there is a large field for kids that want to play Muggle sports like football or cricket. The foresty area in the corner is actually set up with several swings, jungle gyms, and even an outdoor track for running or walking. Finally the far right has a dozen BBQ pits and three swimming pools for everyone to use. The small building right at the front of the park is the games keeper's place, and all the kids will be able to borrow brooms, balls, bats and any other equipment they might need."

As he watched Harry zoom in and out of the various parts in the park, James couldn't help but wonder how much the Marauders would have loved a place like this growing up.

"This park looks absolutely amazing, Harry. I can't wait to try out the Quidditch pitch."

Lily rolled her eyes at the dreamy looks that appeared on her husband and son's faces, and turned her attention back to the holographic image on her dining room table. Suddenly she remembered the second cube on the table, and wondered what it held.

"Hey, Harry?"

"Yeah, mum?"

"What about the second cube that's here? Is it a backup hologram for The Sanctuary?"

"Actually, mum, the second cube contains my plans for a theme park in Hogsmead. "

The moment he heard theme park, James felt his inner kid jump up with joy. Two years ago Lily talked him into taking the kids to a Muggle theme park in America, and he ended up loving Disneyland as much as any of his children.

"Can we see it, kiddo?"

Harry grinned at his father's childlike enthusiasm and then nodded his head in answer. He quickly turned off the cube projecting The Sanctuary and after a moment turned on the second cube.

The theme park was no where near the size of the village, so the holographic image only took up a quarter of the dining room table. Fortunately that didn't stop James and Lily from gasping in appreciation.

"This mum and dad is Merlin's Cove."

"It looks amazing, kiddo. I bet even the bratty Pureblood kids will love it."

"Thanks, dad. I definitely think it's something everyone will be able to appreciate."

Lily marveled at the newest idea her son had for the Magical world, and she had to agree that it would be something even Pureblood kids would find enjoyable. "So tell us about Merlin's Cove, sweetie."

Harry flashed his mother a grin and replied, "The theme park is split into two sections, mum. On the left we have a fifteen roller coasters of various speeds, some gaming stands where kids can win prizes for themselves or their dates, a cinema hall, and a bowling alley. And on the right...we have Avalon."

Lily rolled her eyes at the name, but still asked, "And what exactly will Avalon have?"

Harry used the Goblin cube to zoom in on the large man-made island on the far right of the theme park and said, "Avalon will be the primary shopping and dining area of the entire park, mum. I plan on having every store that you can find in Hogsmead accessible on Avalon, plus several stores that don't currently exist in the Magical world."

"Ahh, sweetie, what about the stores that already exist in Hogsmead?"

"I've already thought about that, mum, and Ripclaw is in the process of purchasing as many of those stores that we can get our hands on. For those that don't want to sell, in return for a modest rent, I'm more than willing to offer them a place of their own once Merlin's Cove is built. According to the last report I received from Gringotts, I now own around a quarter of the empty land in Hogsmead, and by the time winter break is over, I should hopefully own several of the businesses that have barely been breaking even over the years."

It was at this point that James and Lily overcame their amazement at The Sanctuary and Merlin's Cove, and realized how expensive this endeavour would be.

"This is all wonderful, Harry, but how exactly do you plan on paying for all this?," James asked his son. "The cost to build both these places must be enormous."

"You're right about it being expensive, dad. Based on the rough estimates that Ripclaw and I have made the past few weeks, The Sanctuary will cost between sixty to seventy million galleons to build, while the Cove should take around thirty to forty million galleons. Considering I want the village to be ready by this summer, I expect the Goblins to charge me a few extra million for the additional work crews they will need to have everything ready by August."

Lily paled at the thought of how much money her son was planning to spend, and she prayed he wasn't going to take a loan from the Goblins. During her time in the Magical world, there was three things she knew to be true about the creatures that held the Wizarding world's money...1. Never insult them, 2. Never ever try to steal from them, and 3. Under no circumstances should you ever ever ever borrow money from the Goblins. Failure to do any of the three could lead to a quick death, and she couldn't bare the thought of anyone hurting one of her children.

Unaware that his wife was currently thinking the same thing as him, James looked at his son and said, "Even with the money you made from your investments, and the money you inherited from your Lordships, I doubt you have anywhere near the amount you will need to pay for everything. Please tell me you're not planning to borrow money from the Goblins. No matter what type of relationship you think you have with them, Harry, taking a loan from the Goblins has never worked out well for anyone."

Harry was dreading this part of the conversation, but he had a lie already prepared for his parents.

"You don't have to worry about me taking a loan from the Goblins, dad. I kind of already have the money to pay for everything."

"WHAT/HOW?"

Harry winced at the twin shouts he received from his parents and prayed his lie would be believed by both of them. Originally he was hoping to claim the money came from the two gold mines in his possession, but he quickly realized no one would believe he could extract that much gold so quickly.

"Well, the money was already in the Peverell vaults."

James remembered going through the paperwork for both Lordships with his son, and from what he recalled, the Peverell vault only showed a little over three million galleons.

"How is that possible, Harry? I went through the inheritance files with you, and there was no where near that much money in the vault."

"Dad, do you remember the twelve sealed trunks that were listed in the inheritance packet I received when I claimed my Lordship?"

Once he saw his dad nod his head in agreement, Harry continued, "Those trunks were spelled to only open in the presence of the Head of House and when I opened them, three of the trunks were filled to the brim with galleons."

"How much money are we talking about, Harry?"

Harry spent several days thinking about how much money he should say came from the trunks. He brought a total of three hundred and eighty five million galleons with him from his old world, but he didn't want to risk letting the Ministry know exactly how much money he had at his disposal.

"One hundred and fifty million galleons, dad," Harry lied.

James gasped at the amount hidden in the trunks. "Why the hell would the last Lord hide so much money? By keeping it all locked in the trunks, those galleons wouldn't earn any interest for the vault."

Harry shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I'm not sure, dad. Maybe he wanted to make sure that whichever Potter took up the Lordship of his House, did it to for the name and not for the money. After all, it was believed the Potters took over most of the wealth the Peverells had."

While she was still apprehensive about the money her son was planning to spend, Lily sighed in relief knowing her child wouldn't be indebted to the Goblins.

"The Sanctuary and the theme park are truly wonderful ideas, Harry, but are you sure you want to spend so much money on them. Many of your ideas are Muggle based, and they might not go over well with the Pureblood families and even some half-bloods."

Harry stared confidently into his mother's green eyes and replied, "I know it's a big risk, mum, but I have faith my plans for the future will help bring our world out of the Middle Ages. Sure the Pureblood bigots will complain in the beginning, but once the masses realize how much their quality of life is improved by the changes, I doubt even the Dark families would want the public to be against them."

As she looked at her brilliant son, Lily just knew that his dreams would one day become a reality and she wanted nothing more than to support him through every step that he would take.

"If you're certain you want to do this, sweetheart, than your father and I will support you all the way."

When he saw his son turn his head to look at him, James nodded his head in agreement. "Your mother's right, kiddo. I may not understand everything you're trying to do, but I'm positive you will change our world for the better. For what it's worth, you have our support."

Harry could barely contain his excitement, and he rushed to embrace both of his parents. "Thanks, mum. Thanks, dad. You guys don't know how much this means to me."

James patted his son gently on the back and said, "You're welcome, kiddo. I just hope you don't have any more surprises for awhile. I'm not sure my old heart could take it."

As soon as he saw Harry look away, James groaned loudly at what he knew would be something big. So far his eldest son hadn't done anything that would be considered normal, and he was positive he wasn't about to start now.

"I know you're not telling us something, Harry. Just spit out. I'd rather have all the surprises revealed today."

After the news he'd revealed with the cure and his plans for the future, Harry was a little hesitant about mentioning his abilities to his parents, but in the end he decided they deserved to know. Since he had already shared the information with Neville and the girls, it was only fair that his parents knew the truth as well.

"So...what do you guys know about Shadow Mages?"

* * *

_Dear Madam Bones,_

_First off, I would like to thank you for giving my Account Manager the information we discussed earlier this week at Potter Manor. He has already begun to contact the people on the list, and I have instructed him to share all results with you as soon as they come in._

_The second reason for this communique is in regards to the time my father and godfather spent as Aurors under your command. As a child I often heard stories of them working together at the DMLE, and I vividly remember their complaints about how understaffed, overworked, and ill equipped members of your department are. From what I have been able to ascertain on my own, this sadly still holds true to this day._

_In honor of the work you and your people do to keep our world safe place, I wanted to make a small donation to your department to rectify this situation. Unfortunately when I told my Account Manager what I wanted to do, Ripclaw urged me not to send any money to the Ministry. _

_It seems that any monetary donation sent to the Ministry, regardless if it was meant for a specific department, is re-allocated based on Minister Fudge's discretion. Since I do not want to deprive the DMLE of the resources that I believe you rightly deserve, Ripclaw was kind enough to suggest an alternate means to help share my gift with you and your people._

_As of noon yesterday a new vault containing five hundred thousand galleons was created at Gringotts under my Account Manager Ripclaw's name. While he will have sole control over the vault, Ripclaw has been instructed to make one purchase a year on behalf of the Head of the DMLE, to a maximum of one hundred thousand galleons. By providing physical goods in lieu of monetary compensation, it is my hope that this method will allow you to properly fund your department, without having to worry about Ministry oversight. _

_After speaking to my father and godfather, I am also well aware of how poorly armed the majority of your Aurors are while working in the field. Since the DMLE is considered to be the first and last line of defence for our world, as a Lord of two Ancient and Noble Houses, this is something that I cannot allow to continue. As such, I took the liberty of making sure that those who protect us while we sleep, are in turn protected themselves. _

_I have already contacted the Magical armory in Diagon Alley and they have been instructed to provide all of your Aurors with new set of Dragonhide robes, boots and wand holsters. This purchase will not count against the money already placed in the vault, so you are free to still withdraw any funds you may need to further improve your department this year._

_It is my hope that you will not consider this gift to be anything more than it is. I assure you there are no strings attached with it, and that I expect nothing in return from you or your department. Thank you for your time, Madam Bones, and I wish you and your people a happy Yule._

_Sincerely,_

_Lord Hadrian Peverell-Daniels_

Amelia Bones leaned back in her leather chair and took a sip from the glass of Fire whiskey she held in her hand. It had been four days since she learned about the impossible cure that the young man had discovered, and after verifying the results with the Goblins, she happily gave them a copy of every registered Werewolf she could find in the Ministry files.

As she thought about the changes the Magical world was about to undergo, Amelia was apprehensive about how the public would take the reintegration of those that had formerly been classified as non-humans. She knew for a fact that several higher ups in the Ministry would refuse to believe in the cure, and as the head of the DMLE she worried how their reactions would affect the rest of the sheeple that made up the Magical community.

Thanks to Fudge and his Undersecretary, her department was severely understaffed and underfunded to handle any future problems that may arise. If rumors were true, after the next Wizengamot meeting was done they would soon have another round of budget cuts to deal with.

If she was being honest with herself, the young Lord's donation couldn't have come at a better time for the DMLE. But after years of wading through the backroom politics she was forced to deal with at the Ministry, she was incredibly weary of any "gifts' she was offered. After all, it wouldn't be the first time someone tried to bribe her for a favor.

The only reason she hadn't dismissed the donation right away, was because the young Lord in question was not only the son of one of her most honorable former Aurors, but he'd yet to involve himself with the dirty world of politics.

Amelia's musings were interrupted when she heard someone knocking on her door.

"Come in," she reluctantly called out.

As soon as she saw Alastor Moody stomp into her office, the redheaded Witch felt her eyebrows arch up in surprise. While Mad-eye was without a doubt one of her best field operatives, much like any other senior Auror she had on staff, he took full advantage of any time off that he would receive. It was was well known by everyone in the department, that unless you wanted to end up as a temporary guest at St. Mungo, you never tried to disturb the man while he was on vacation.

"What do you want, Alastor?," Amelia asked bluntly. "For someone who refuses to even answer his floo while on leave, I'm surprised you're here right now.

Moody grunted softly in what sounded like agreement, and then tossed the book in his hand, onto his boss' table. "You need to give that a read, Amy."

Amelia ignored the lack of respect she was used to receiving from the experienced Auror, and picked up the book in question. "I take it this is the new DADA book that Mr. Potter wanted you to edit."

"Aye, it is. And it's a hell of read too, lass. If I didn't already know that a wet behind the ears kid had written the damn thing, I would have sworn it was quilled by a battle hardened Auror that had most likely been through a war or two."

No stranger to having surprises tossed into her lap, the youngest Head of Department in the history of the Ministry, still found herself barely able to keep the shock off of her face.

"How in Merlin's name is that even possible, Alastor? The kid hasn't even finished his first year at Hogwarts."

Moody shrugged his shoulders and replied, "No idea, Amy, but he sure as hell knows what he's talking about. Some of his tactical suggestions for facing single or multiple enemy targets, were something even I hadn't considered until now. If you took out some of the sections that really only applied to Hogwarts students, I would even go so far as to convert what's left into a new Auror training handbook."

Amelia was stunned by the suggestion. Granted the Auror handbook hadn't been updated in the past fifty years, but she still couldn't believe an Auror as experienced as Mad-eye Moody would even think to suggest doing so based off the works of an eleven year old child.

"You're actually serious about this?"

"Like a heart attack, lass. That book is filled with not only suggested battle techniques, but usefull spells, Charms, and Transfigurations Aurors can use in a given situation. I doubt even I could write anything that would be as thorough and informative as what you're holding in your hands."

As she stared into the single good eye of her most proficient Auror, Amelia recalled how paranoid her colleague was known to be. She was absolutely certain that he wouldn't have bothered coming in today, unless there was something else that he knew about Harry Potter.

"Spill it, Alastor. What do you know about the kid?"

A small smirk twitched across Moody's lips. "You mean other than the fact that he cured Lycanthropy?"

Amelia rolled her eyes and replied, "Yes, other than that. If Mr. Potter really caught your attention, than I know you must have looked into him thoroughly. I want to know everything you found out about him."

"Considering his age, there really wasn't a lot of information to find out. Up until a few months ago, everyone thought he was a Squib. But over the summer he spent a few days as a guest with the Goblins, and when he left, he could do Magic."

"Do you think he's practicing Dark Magic, Alastor?", Amelia asked

Moody shook his head in response. "Not that I know of, lass. Since she's close with the Potters and his Head of House at Hogwarts, I spoke to Minerva about it, and apparently whatever was wrong with him was a documented Medical condition. Unfortunately Dumbledore and the Healers at St. Mungo failed to figure it out, but the Goblins did. He went through some procedure with them over the summer to fix the problem, and as far as I can tell nothing Dark was involved."

Amelia sighed softly in relief. The last thing she needed was a Lord with the resources of two Ancient and Noble Houses turning dark.

"What else have you learned?"

"Nothing much really. Just two things that stand out in particular. First, he created a runic array that allows for Muggle technology to work around Magic."

"Impossible," Amelia exclaimed. "Everyone knows that Magic shorts out anything that works off of electricity."

"Impossible, Amy? I think you forgot who we're talking about. The world said it was impossible for someone to find the cure for Lycanthropy, but that didn't stop the kid from doing it anyways."

Amelia winced at the reminder of the cure, and suddenly she felt the tell tell signs of a migraine beginning to form. As impressive as the young Lord's accomplishments were, the middle aged Witch could almost sense the shock waves these discoveries would send through the Pureblood supremacists and she could foresee the many problems her department would face in the future.

"I know why he's waiting until the summer to reveal his Potion to the public, but why haven't we heard about this runic array."

Moody shook his head and answered, "If I had to guess, it would probably be because he knows the Ministry would try to shut him down. Couple of my contacts in the colonies have told me his company is already selling the Muggle picture boxes abroad, but so far they haven't released them anywhere in the UK."

"He has his own company?," Amelia asked curiously.

"That's right, lass, and it's called Marauder's Inc. I've checked up on it, and the Ministry has them registered as a valid company here in Britain. What's interesting is that the boy doesn't own all of it. It's split equally between James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Harry Potter."

Amelia was well aware of the history behind the Marauders, but found herself curious as to what role the other three owners played in the company. Shelving the errant thought for the moment, she returned her focus back to the young Lord.

"You said there were two things, Alastor. What's the second thing you learned?"

"The kid's buying a lot of land," Moody answered. "The Goblins are being tight lipped about what it will be used for, but Potter now owns several parcels of land somewhere in Kingsbridge and now it looks like he's buying up places in Hogsmead."

"Hogsmead?"

"That's right, lass. From the little my contacts were able to get from the Goblins, the kid now owns all the abandoned property there was in the village, and now he's trying to buyout those people who own a house or business there."

"He isn't strongarming them to sell, is he?"

"The kid's actually paying above market price, Amy. I spoke to one of the businesses Potter recently bought out, and the man said the kid paid him more than what his little shop was worth."

As she thought about the new information she'd learned about Harry Potter, Amelia just knew the kid had several more surprises up his sleeve. And if his past few revelations were anything to go by, she had no doubt her future was going to be filled with daily headaches.

After a moment, Amy picked up the letter she received from Harry and handed it to Mad-eye. "Tell me what you think about this."

Moody scanned through the letter quickly and then let loose a bellowing laugh. "Well, I gotta hand it to the kid. For someone who was sorted into Gryffindor, this move is definitely worthy of a Slytherin. He knows he can't donate money directly to the department, because all monetary funds are dispersed by Minister approval only. But he realized physical goods can be given straight to any department. By having the Goblins buy whatever you need, he's staying within the Ministry rules and still getting you what you need. I like it."

"True, but do you think he has an ulterior motive?"

Moody take his time before answering. "I have no doubt he has an ulterior motive for the gift, lass, but as of now I don't think it's nefarious. He's made a show of dotting his i's and crossing his t's for the Ministry, so he's making sure that whatever he's doing is completely legal. For now the best we can do is keep an eye out for him."

"That's what I was hoping you would say," Amelia sighed in relief. "To be honest, Alastor, this donation couldn't have come at a better time. I just heard the department can expect another round of budget cuts soon, and if that happened, I would have been forced to release half the trainees we have in the program."

Mad-eye grunted in reply. It was no secret that he had little if any respect for the majority of younger Aurors and trainees in the department. Due to the lack of capable recruits coming out of Hogwarts, the DMLE had been forced to reduce their minimum requirements and increase the training time required for all recruits.

Since a year and a half of Potions and DADA had to be tacked on to the standard three year Auror program, the added expenditure to teach the trainees things they should already have learned at Hogwarts, resulted in the DMLE being forced to only take in twenty-five new recruits a year. As hard as the program was, it was common knowledge that only half the recruits would ever graduate to become full fledged Aurors.

"Than you really don't have a choice, lass. If the budget cuts happen again, you need this donation now more than ever. Even if you don't ask for anything from the vault Potter set up, the armor alone will save a lot of lives."

Amelia hated to admit it, but if she wanted to do right by her people, she would have to swallow her pride and graciously accept Harry's gift. After a few moments she looked up to see Moody rise from his chair, and make his way towards the exit.

"Keep me posted of any new developments, Alastor," Amelia called out to the departing Auror.

Mad-eye waved his hand in the air to acknowledge that he would, and quietly left his boss' office.

Once again alone, Amelia leaned back into her seat and thought about the young man that would soon change their world. While a part of her was nervous about what these changes would entail, a larger part was excited to see what would happen next.

Whatever the future held, Amelia promised herself that she would make sure her Aurors were prepared for anything that would come their way.

* * *

Rita Skeeter followed the young Goblin down a large corridor in Gringotts, her perfect hips sashaying seductively with each step. At forty years old, the 5'9" blonde haired, blue eyed, Pureblood beauty, had a body that women half her age would die for.

Dressed in designer robes fitted to accentuate all of her curves, Rita was no stranger to using her looks to get what she wanted. Over the years several men had been too busy staring at her voluptuous breasts, to realize they had given her more information than they originally desired. It was for this reason that she made sure she was always perfectly dressed for every occasion.

Ever since she was a child Rita dreamed of proving to the world that women could be just as good at journalism as their male counterparts and she spent the entirety of her Hogwarts years honing her snooping skills. While she was never as intellectual or Magically strong as many of her contemporaries at school, Rita's skills were still far above those of an average Witch.

Her craftiness was the stuff of legend in the House of Cunning, and her Magical core strong enough for her to become a secret Animagus in her seventh year. While she could never out duel the large majority of the students in her House, she was still feared by the masses for the numerous secrets she kept on those that crossed her.

Unfortunately, once Rita's parents learned of her decision to become a reporter, or as they saw it, a common working girl, they threatened to disown her if she didn't marry the Pureblood they'd arranged for her to meet. To this day she was thankful that her parents were killed by a Death Eater attack a week before she was supposed to graduate. If it wasn't for their timely deaths, she would have eventually capitulated to their demands, and would never have become the woman she was destined to be.

After leaving Hogwarts, Rita took her first steps in making her dream become a reality. Even though she spent seven years as a proud Slytherin, Rita still took the time to carefully cultivate several friendships with select Muggleborns in secret.

It's because of this resource, that Rita was well aware of the Journalism courses that could be found in the Muggle world. After weeks of careful deliberation, she eventually decided to spend a small portion of her inheritance and secretly join a Muggle University in London.

Despite not having taken her A levels, through copious use of the compulsion charm and one or two _Obliviates_, Rita was able to get herself enrolled as a Journalism major at King's College in London.

Over the next four years she worked diligently to learn everything she could from her Muggle teachers. At first her lack of a secondary education and knowledge of the Muggle world, was a distinct hindrance in her development as a student. But over time and through a lot of hard work, Rita's desire to succeed overcame all the obstacles that appeared in her path.

As soon as she completed her degree at King's College, Rita returned to the Magical world and immediately applied for a job at the Daily Prophet. To this day she knew the old lecher hired her for her looks, but she didn't care. She finally got her foot in the door, and she damn sure she wasn't going to waste her only chance.

Her first few months were spent being the eye candy that got the old editor his coffee and arranged his paperwork. But all that changed her third month on the job.

While on a date at the Puddlemere United game, Rita got bored with the guy she came with and used her beetle form to sneak into the players locker room. It was there that she discovered the relationship between Chaser Jocelind Griffith and Seeker William Deverill was more than that of teammates.

Rita's first scandal based article was an immediate hit, and from that point on she never looked back. It took two decades of lying, threatening, embellishing, and excruciating hard work, but in the end she finally achieved her dream. Now the number one reporter in the Daily Prophet bullpen, Rita Skeeter was commonly referred to by her peers as the 'Queen of Quills'.

Over the years the world famous reporter built a reputation that was known throughout all of Magical Britain. Her name was enough to make celebrities flinch in fear, and even men as powerful as Lucius Malfoy and Albus Dumbledore knew better than to draw her ire.

In the past she'd used her articles to cut down Ministry officials, and Nobles alike. The power of her words were such that even one article from her could tear down a person's hard-earned reputation in a single day.

It was for this reason that she was careful in covering herself legally at all times. She was well aware that she didn't get where she was by not bending or breaking the law as she saw fit, and the last thing she could afford was for someone to use her past against her. She had gained several powerful enemies throughout the years, all of whom would love nothing more than to see her broken and beaten before them.

Rita was pulled from her thoughts when she noticed the small Goblin stop at the designated conference room and open the door for her to enter. As soon as she walked inside, she immediately noticed the person she came her to meet.

Normally she would have to beg, bribe, cajole, and sometimes even blackmail to get an exclusive interview like this. That's why she was surprised when she received the young Lord's owl for this meeting.

At 5'6" Lord Hadrian Peverell-Daniels looked nothing like the eleven year old child she expected to meet. Starting from the bottom up, she meticulously took in his dragon hide boots, black slacks and the navy blue turtle neck that clung tightly to his body.

Even dressed in Muggle clothes, the young man's entire appearance screamed money and she marveled at how developed his muscles were at such a young age. If he looked this yummy now, she had no doubt that he would be absolutely delicious by the time he grew up.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Rita made her way to the young Lord, purposely putting some extra sway to her hips.

"Good morning, Lord Peverell-Daniels. It's a pleasure to meet you. I must say I was surprised by your request for this meeting. Normally people do their best to avoid little old me."

Harry did his best not to smirk at the Cougar in front of him, and was actually surprised by her appearance. While there was no doubt in his mind that the woman was indeed Rita Skeeter, if he was being honest with himself, he had to admit the Rita of this world was far more attractive than the woman he was used to.

Barely a second passed before Harry gently grasped Rita's outstretched hand and brushed his lips softly against her raised knuckles. "I assure you, Miss Skeeter," he replied with an arrogant drawl reminiscent of a Malfoy. "From where I'm standing, the pleasure is all mine."

Rita flicked her tongue seductively across her lips and smiled down at the young Lord. As soon as she saw his gaze linger on her buxom bosom, she couldn't wait to start the interview.

The pair made their way to the table in the conference room, and once she sat down, Rita crossed her legs, allowing her tight skirt to ride up and show off her amazing legs.

"Now that I have you here, my Lord. I am curious as to why you requested this meeting."

As he stared into Rita's piercing blue eyes, Harry could tell the woman in front of him was far more dangerous than the reporter he once knew. Even with advantage he currently had at his disposal, he was weary of pushing such a person too hard and he quickly made several changes to the proposal he was about to make.

"I asked you here, Miss Skeeter, because I want you to sign a contract with me."

Rita arched her eyebrow, and asked, "And what type of contract would this be, my Lord?"

Harry flashed the older woman his famous Potter smile and replied, "I want you to sign a binding contract that will prevent you from slandering myself, my family or my friends."

Rita was momentarily taken aback by the request, and found herself growing amused by the young Lord's response. Had this come from anyone but a child, her answer would have been significantly different.

Instead she took pity on the boy that was taking his first steps in a world where she was the undisputed Queen and said, "I will have to respectfully decline to do so, my Lord. As a prominent reporter for the Prophet, I'm sure you can understand why I can't acquiesce to such requests. After all, the public has a right to know the truth. However, the fact that you are making such a request of me, leads me to believe you have something to hide. Tell me, my Lord. Do you have something to hide?"

Harry wasn't sure why, but he found himself enjoying their banter. "To be honest, I have many things I want hidden, Miss Skeeter, but I won't have to worry about them once you sign this contract."

"And why in Merlin's name would I sign such a thing?," Rita asked, still amused by the turn of events.

"Perhaps because you would like to avoid the DMLE learning of your unregistered Animagus form."

Rita's amused expression instantly disappeared at the attempted blackmail. While she was incredibly surprised that the kid learned of a secret that grown men and women had failed to discover, it still wasn't that big of a deal to her. With the numerous connections she had tucked away safely in her pocket, a small fine and a slap on the wrist would be the worst she would face from the Ministry.

The threat, however, was more than enough for her to stop treating the boy in front of her with kiddie gloves. "If that's the best you can do, Mr. Potter, then feel free to release your information to the DMLE. I assure you it will affect me little in the long run, but it will put you squarely on my bad side. And that's a place men far better than you don't even want to be."

Harry leaned back into his chair and folded his hands together in front of him. It was now his turn to be amused by Rita's response.

"The Animagus angle is the least of what I have on you, Miss Skeeter. You may have men and women tremble at your very name, but I think you'll find my skin is far more thicker than Malfoy or Dumbledore."

Rita felt a brief moment of fear at the confident look she saw in Harry's eyes, but she immediately squashed the feeling right away. The Queen of Quills refused to believe an eleven year old had enough dirt to cause her any problems, and she was more than willing to call him on his bluff.

"Than by all means, tell me what other imagined slights you may have against me."

Harry slid the manila envelope across the table, and watched an angry Rita as she tore it open.

Rita wasn't sure what to expect when she opened the envelope, but what she found was worse than anything she could have imagined. Somehow the little shit had proof of every law both Muggle and Magical that she had broken over the years. Individually she could have talked her way out of any one of them, but lumped all together they were enough to ruin her forever. At the very least the information was enough to send her to Azkaban for a minimum of ten years, and that was before her enemies got a chance to get their revenge.

"How the hell did you get all this?," Rita screamed in frustration.

Harry couldn't tell her that he recalled the information from her counterpart's Veritaserum trial in his old world. Thankfully he was able to hire an independent contractor to confirm that this world's Rita made the same mistakes as the one from his old world.

While there were several discrepancies between the two, luckily the majority of the things he remembered from the trial were still done by the beautiful woman that was in front of him.

"How I got the information is not important, Miss Skeeter," Harry replied with a smirk. "What matters is that I have it."

"What exactly does this contract entail?," Rita asked, no longer worried about mouthing any further pleasantries.

Harry could see the anger boiling inside of the blonde Witch, and he didn't want to push such a deadly woman into a corner.

Hoping to ease some of the tension, Harry replied, "I have no desire to make you an enemy, Rita, but I can't deny that I have need of your ability to spin a tale. If you give me a chance, I think you'll find my offer to be more than fair."

While she was certainly pissed at being blackmailed by a child of all people, Rita had been around long enough to know there was a time to strike and a time to listen. Forcing herself to take several deep breaths, she controlled the anger bubbling inside of her and said, "I'm listening, my Lord."

Harry felt his lips twitch at the reluctant title and than confidently made his offer.

"Very soon I will be making several discoveries known to the public, and I need a Public Relations coordinator that can.."

"Assure the sheeple to buy what you're selling," Rita finished.

When she saw Harry nod his head in agreement, she asked, "What kind of discoveries are we talking about?"

Despite Rita not having signed the contract, Harry already knew his leverage was enough to buy the reporter's silence. As such, he didn't hesitate to answer the question. "One of my revelations for this summer, will be that I have cured Lycanthropy. I already have thirty six proven cases, and by the time I'm ready to go public, I should have several hundred cured Werewolves as my proof."

Of all the things she was expecting to hear, Rita certainly did not expect that. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that a cure for Lycanthropy could even be possible and she felt her jaw drop in shock. After a few moments she began to wonder what else the young Lord had up his sleeve, and somehow she was certain the cure was only the first of many great surprises.

"You certainly are full of surprises, my Lord," Rita replied, her tone now having more respect than before. "What exactly does your offer consist of?"

Originally Harry was only going to offer her some extra money, but after meeting this world's Rita, he knew it wouldn't be enough for the woman known as the greatest reporter in Britain. If he truly wanted to have such a dangerous and useful woman on his side, he knew his offer what have to be substantially greater than what he planned to make.

"First, a pay raise. I'm willing to pay you twice what you're earning from the Prophet right now. Along with that, you will get an expense account of say twenty thousand galleons a year to do with as you please, and a flat of your choice."

"You'll buy me my own place?," Rita asked in surprise.

Harry nodded his head in answer. "I'll even give you a ten thousand galleon signing bonus, so you can furnish your new home however you want. Call it an early Christmas present from me."

"And what about my job with the Prophet?"

"Keep it," Harry replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "When you're not on duty for me, I have no problems with you continuing to write for the Prophet. Hell, as long you're not writing about anyone on the list that I will give to you, I could care less about who or what you attack. I even promise to give you some juicy information you can use against the likes of Malfoy, Dumbledore and Fudge."

Rita's eyes lit up at the offer, and she had to admit it was far better than she hoped to receive in her situation. She knew for a fact none of her enemies would be as considerate, if they had the same type of leverage in their hands.

"If I agree to this, I want a Wizard's oath that you won't willingly give or allow someone else to give my personal information to anyone else. I have no desire to be blackmailed by anyone else."

Harry didn't even hesitate before answering, "Done. Anything else?"

"While I have no problems going up against powerful people, if you expect me to take on guys like Malfoy, Dumbledore and Fudge, then I'm going to need some protection in the future."

"That won't be a problem, Rita. Should a situation arise where you need protection, I'll gladly provide you with the best body guards I can find."

At this point Rita couldn't help but like her deal. In return for spinning a story in his favor, and keeping his friends and family out of the limelight, she was getting a deal that was better than anything she could hope for.

"In that case, my Lord. I believe we have a deal. So what's first on our agenda?"

Harry was thrilled to have Skeeter willingly work for him, and it took all his control not to grin like an idiot.

"How about we start with a full exclusive with the youngest dual Lord in history?"

Rita grinned happily in response and pulled out her quill to begin the interview.


	19. Will The Real Fudge Please Stand Up

**Chapter 19: Will The Real Fudge Please Stand Up**

As he made his way towards the Great Hall for breakfast, Harry quickly read through the letter he received from his Accounts Manager late last night. In it Ripclaw confirmed the purchase of the final piece of land he was looking to buy in Kingsbridge for The Sanctuary and now that it was his, he was assured by the Goblins that they would begin construction within the week.

While he was more than pleased with the deal he made with Gringotts, Harry couldn't help but wince at how long the negotiations had taken him. Nearly an entire day of his Yule break had been spent haggling over every knut and sickle the Goblins wanted to charge him, but in the end he got everything he wanted from them.

Now that the negotiations were finally complete, if everything went according to plan the new Village should be finished around the same time that Hogwarts ended its second term in June. Since Harry planned to release the news of his cure to the ICW during their opening session a week later, that gave him plenty of time to offer housing to the newly cured Werewolves over the summer.

Harry was pulled from his musings when he arrived inside the Great Hall and found it to be virtually empty. For a brief moment he was surprised by the lack of noise that was normally associated with his fellow students while they were breaking their morning fast, but then he remembered that it was still Sunday and since the new term wouldn't start till tomorrow the majority of students were probably just sleeping in.

As his eyes raked over the handful of his peers that were present in the Great Hall, he immediately noticed Hermione sitting by herself at the Ravenclaw table. Making his way towards his formerly bushy-haired friend, Harry dropped his bag on the table and sat down in front of her.

"Good morning, Hermione," Harry called out in greeting.

When she heard her name being called, Hermione slightly jumped up in surprise and then smiled once she realized who it was. "Good morning, Harry. What are you doing up so early?"

Harry smirked at her response and replied, "Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black, Mia. And to answer your question, I'm up early cause I wanted to get a good workout in. I wasn't able to exercise at all during the Yule break, and after the amount of food I ate, I definitely don't want to get out of shape."

Hermione looked her friend up and down and then snorted in an unladylike manner. Just one glimpse at the Gryffindor Seeker was enough for anyone to see he was in great shape. To be fair, based on his above average height and athletic build, it would be easy for a stranger to assume Harry was fifteen going on sixteen, rather than the almost twelve-year-old he really was.

"I'm sure you can afford to miss a few days, Harry," she said snidely. "I doubt you'll get fat anytime soon. It's not as if you don't have the body of an Adonis already."

Harry patted his stomach lightly and felt the beginnings of his six pack easily through his school robes. "A body like this takes work, Mia," he replied with mock arrogance. "With the amount of calories, I take in every day, if I held myself to the same standard as the rest of the Magical world, I would probably be bigger than Crabbe and Goyle combined.

Hermione childishly stuck her tongue out in response and then went back to writing on the parchment in front of her.

As he loaded his plate with a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage and potatoes, Harry sent several glances towards the girl in front of him. While he'd only known the Hermione of this world for a few short months, she was similar enough to the girl who was once his closest friend, for Harry to know something was bothering her.

"What are you working on, Mia?" he asked politely.

Hermione looked up at the question and then shook her head slowly. "Nothing important, Harry. It's just an idea I have for Hogwarts, but I'm not sure if it will even be accepted by the teachers."

"If it's not important, then tell me about it, Mia. I might be able to help you."

Hermione chewed on her lower lip for a moment and then coming to a decision she slid the parchment she was working on across the table to Harry. "I was thinking about creating a Yearbook for Hogwarts students."

"A Yearbook?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Hermione answered shyly. "Over the break one of my mum's friends from Uni came to visit and they spent hours going through their old Yearbooks and telling me stories about their younger years. I thought it would be a good idea if Hogwarts had something similar, so students would always have a memory of their time here. It's stupid, right?"

As he read through the notes Hermione had written down on the parchment, Harry was impressed with her planning. He was well aware of the concept behind Yearbooks from his old world, but thanks to the Dursleys he was never allowed to buy one for himself.

"It's not a stupid idea at all, Hermione," Harry replied with a smile. "In fact, I think this it's a brilliant one. If you want, I can send Hedwig out to pick up a couple Magical cameras from Diagon Alley and we have plenty of time to get things ready before the end of term."

Hermione's face lit up at his offer and she nodded her head happily. "Thanks, Harry. That would be great. Now we just have to get one of the Professors to approve the idea."

Harry shrugged his shoulders and said, "That shouldn't be too hard to do, Hermione. The Yearbook is an excellent way for students to remember their time at Hogwarts and I have no doubt that both Professor Flitwick and McGonagall will support you in this endeavor. But if you're really worried about getting the approval, I might be able to take this idea one step further. I guarantee it will be enough for you to have at least Professor Flitwick's support."

Hermione was thrilled her idea hadn't been rejected from the get-go, and now she found herself curious as to what additions Harry wanted to make. "What do you have in mind, Harry?"

"What do you know about the ceiling in the Great Hall?"

Hermione was confused by the odd question, but she still answered, "According to Hogwarts: A History, the ceiling was enchanted by Rowena Ravenclaw to look like the sky outside and it even mimics the exact weather around the Castle at any given time."

Harry smiled at the textbook definition he had come to expect from his friend, but thanks to the other Hermione's infatuation with reading every edition she could find of the book, he knew the bewitched ceiling was more versatile than that.

"You're absolutely correct, Mia, but that's not all the ceiling can do."

"I don't understand, Harry. Hogwarts: A History didn't mention any..."

"That's because you have only read the most recent edition, Hermione," Harry interrupted her. "In the earlier versions of the book, there are examples of the ceiling also being used as a teaching tool."

"Really?" Hermione asked excitedly. "How does it work?"

"Back when Hogwarts was first created, the school didn't have the abundance of teachers like it does now," Harry explained. "Since the Founders were forced to teach the majority of the classes themselves, periodically they would ask help from Witches and Wizards that they knew excelled in a particular field. Unfortunately, these people couldn't always find the time to come to Hogwarts and teach the students, so Rowena created a recording device that she would send to them instead. Since the device was synced to the Charms around the enchanted ceiling, these guest Professors could use it to give students live lectures at a scheduled time or send back a series of recorded lectures that could be shared with students at the discretion of the Founders."

"That...that...that's amazing, Harry. How come the school doesn't do this now?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders in response. "At this point in time, why would they even need to? It's not like we don't have dozens of teachers already working at the school. Besides, with the number of students we have now, I doubt it would still be useful as a teaching tool."

As much as she wished to see a lecture being done in such a manner, Hermione reluctantly agreed that it wasn't feasible with the number of students that were currently attending Hogwarts.

"While the history lesson has certainly been interesting, Harry, I still don't understand how this relates to my yearbook idea. And why would Professor Flitwick jump to agree to it?"

"Ahhh, but you're missing the opportunity here, Hermione. While I doubt the school would let us use a Founder's object ourselves, as far as I know the recording device is still in Hogwarts' possession and in working order. Since the device was created through a combination of Runes and Charms, if Professor Flitwick were to help me, I'm positive we could come up with our own version of it. These new devices could then be carried around by select students over the term, and at the end of the year their recordings could be used to make..."

"A video collage," Hermione excitedly finished for him. "That's absolutely brilliant, Harry. But do you think you can really duplicate Rowena's device?"

"Not to sound arrogant, Mia, but I did figure out a way to make Magic work with electricity. I have no doubt with Professor Flitwick's help, that I will be able to duplicate the recording sphere without any problems. If I can use the original device as a template, it's not like I would have to create one from scratch. We can probably even make the devices small enough to pin on to someone's robes, so that way the person doesn't have to do any work at all. We can just edit the material we want to use for the collage at a later date."

Over the next hour the two friends combined their ideas for the Yearbook and video collage and came up with an in-depth working plan to take to the Professors. The pair was so engrossed with their work, they didn't even realize the Hall was now swarming with the newly arrived students.

In the middle of explaining to Hermione what runes he would probably be using for the recording device, Harry suddenly felt a presence behind him. Before he could react to the person, a pair of lips gently pressed against his cheek on his right side, while another pair kissed him on his left side.

Harry looked up in surprise, only to find Daphne and Alex smirking back at him. "Good morning, Harry," the pair called out in unison.

Feeling his cheeks begin to pink at their incredibly forward, but still surprisingly pleasant greeting, Harry smiled back at his betrothed and said, "Good morning ladies. Did you guys enjoy your lie in?"

As the girls noticed the blush spread across Harry's cheeks, the pair couldn't help but be pleased by his reaction. Over the hols the two sister-wives had a very enlightening talk with Alex's cousin Tonks, and after admitting to the older girl how much they were beginning to crush on their betrothed, the trainee Auror gave them tips on how to express their feelings towards Harry, without actually coming out and saying them.

Before either Daphne or Alex could respond to his god-brother's question, Neville interrupted them. "Good morning, mate. I hope you don't expect me to kiss you as well, Harry? You're a good-looking bloke and all, but you're not really my type."

At this point Harry finally noticed his fellow Gryffindor's arrival and found him already sitting next to Hermione. "Not at all, Nev," he snarked back. "I know you will be saving all of your kisses for Hermione."

Daphne was pleased by the embarrassed state of her two friends. It was obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes and a half a brain, that Hermione and Neville liked each other as more than just friends. While she knew they were too young to think about being a couple now, Daphne did hope their feelings for each other would continue to grow and that at some point in the not so distant future, the pair would eventually get together. It was sentiment that she knew her sister-wife certainly shared with her, and one she suspected Harry felt too.

"How far did you get into the T.E.D Manual, Hermione?" Alex asked her friend. "Considering how early you got up today, I figure you have to be at least a few chapters in already."

"What are you talking about, Alex? And what the heck is a Ted Manual?"

"It's the defense book you've been bugging Harry to see for the past few months," Alex replied uncertainly. "He gave Daphne and I several copies when we left his room last night and I left one for you on your bedside table. Didn't you see it when you woke up this morning?"

At the thought of the mysterious book Harry had been bogarting for months, Hermione couldn't stop herself from pouting. She'd left the room early to work on her Yearbook idea, and never even noticed the gift. Now her inner bibliophile was cursing herself for the missed time she could have spent reading through it.

"I left the room so quickly this morning, that I didn't even see anything on my night table. Have you guys had a chance to read any of it yet?"

Neville snorted in response. "I have and it's bloody fantastic, Mia. There's not a doubt in my mind that the T.E.D Manual is the book we should all be learning from at Hogwarts. I'm already five chapters in, and if it weren't for my stomach demanding me to get some breakfast, I would still be in my room reading it right now."

"Really? Now I can't wait to read it. Have you guys started it as well?"

Daphne shook her head in response. "Alex and I casually flipped through most of it last night with Harry, but we haven't started reading it yet. But from the little I _have _seen, The Encyclopedia of Defense is an apt name for the book. It certainly seems to cover everything one would need to know for DADA."

Despite his mental age, Harry was still not used to being complimented for his accomplishments, and he once again found himself blushing at the praise.

"The T.E.D Manual is still a work in progress," Harry stated, but with a hint of pride evident in his voice. "I gave Moody a copy to edit for me over the break, and I have several more copies for select students this term. With you guys covering the first years, I've asked two students each for the other years to read through it as well. Hopefully by the end of term I can use the feedback I get from everyone to create the final version and release the book over the summer."

While she was certain the T.E.D Manual would help students in any year, Daphne was surprised that Harry was able to get the 5th and 7th years to help him with the edit. Since those years were when students took their O. and N.E. respectively, she couldn't believe he found four students with the time to help him.

"How did you get the fifth and seventh years to help you, Harry?" Daphne asked curiously. "I didn't think they would have the time with O. and N.E. at the end of the year."

Harry had kind of been expecting this question from one of his friends, and smugly replied, "By making them an offer they couldn't refuse."

Hermione rolled her eyes, being the only one to recognize the Godfather reference, and said, "I can't believe you're bribing them, Harry. Both those years are incredibly important for their future careers and they should be concentrating on their end of term exams."

"First off, it's not a bribe, Hermione," Harry answered back, slightly irritated by her insinuation. "It's payment for services rendered. I would never have asked those students to help me, if I thought for even a moment that it would harm their futures in any way. Besides, call me bias, but I guarantee you their review of the Manual will be far more beneficial for their final exams than anything Professor Quirrell gives them. Can you honestly say you have learned anything useful in that man's class? Heck, half the time I can barely understand what he's saying."

While she didn't like speaking poorly about a Professor, when she gave it some thought, Hermione was honest enough with herself to admit that Harry was right and Quirrell was fairly useless as a teacher. His stutter alone was enough to make learning difficult in class, but his strict adherence to reading the defense book verbatim also meant students spent very little time on the practical application of the spells.

"You're right, Harry and I'm sorry for my earlier statement. You aren't the type of person that would purposely hurt someone's future and I never should have implied that you were.

Appeased by her apology, Harry waived it off and said, "No worries, Mia. I know you were just concerned about their education and I'm sorry for snapping at you too."

"Hoping to fill in the awkward silence that followed, Alex asked with an impish smile, "So...anyone else curious to know what kind of offer Harry is making to everyone?

"Since you and Daphne are my fiancés, Neville my god-brother and Hermione one of my closest friends in the entire world, you guys get nothing," Harry replied with a smirk and a shrug of his shoulders. " As for everyone else...Moody is getting paid 250 galleons for his professional expertise and knowledge about the subject, while the students are being paid to comment on the ease of use of the Manual. I figure 25 galleons for 5th and 7th years, and 10 galleons for all the other years, plus the right to keep the Manual at the end of the year, should be more than enough for everyone involved.

At that moment any further conversation was stopped by the sudden arrival of several dozen Owls, each carrying multiple copies of the Daily Prophet. The entire Hall was surprised by their presence, since the Prophet didn't usually come out on Sundays.

Unlike the rest of his peers, Harry knew the reason behind today's Special Edition and he quickly took a copy from one of the Owls that landed on his table.

* * *

**Lord Peverel-Daniels: The Youngest Dual Lord in History**

Welcomes readers. Today we have a special interview with a young man that is already creating shockwaves throughout our world. Allow me to be the first to introduce you to Lord Harry James Peverell-Daniels.

**_RS:_** _Thank you for taking the time to do this interview, Lord Peverell-Daniels. I know my readers are just as curious to learn about the youngest person to hold a dual Lordship as I am._

**_LPD:_** _Think nothing of it, Miss Skeeter. It's a pleasure to work with someone as esteemed as yourself. And please, call me Harry."_

**_RS:_** _Thank you, Harry. And feel free to call me Rita. The first question I have for you is something I'm sure all my readers will want to know. Why did the majority of our world assume you were born a Squib?"_

**_LPD:_** _Sadly, Rita, this was due to a rare medical condition that I was born with. It resulted in my core somehow managing to twist upon itself while I was still in the womb. As a result of my malady, any scans done on my person would only register me as a Squib. Unfortunately I didn't learn the truth behind my condition, until the Goblins pointed it out a few months before I was supposed to start Hogwarts._

**_RS:_** _I'm curious as to what spells or rituals the Goblins performed to help you with your problem._

**_LPD:_** _I'm afraid nothing so grandiose occurred, Rita. The procedure simply required me to enter into a meditative trance and connect with my Magical core, so that I could unravel it myself. The process did have a few inherent risks associated with it, but thankfully I had the best Goblin Healers monitoring me at all times. _

**_RS:_** _Well, I'm sure your family was thrilled to hear the news. But that leads me to my next question. Why were you removed as Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter?_

**_LPD:_** _My father actually had no desire to remove me as his Heir, Rita. Even as a supposed Squib his love for me was unconditional and it took a lot of convincing on my part for him to name my younger brother the Potter Heir in my stead. _

**_RS:_** _I'm sure my readers want to know why you felt that such a thing was necessary, Harry._

**_LPD:_** _My decision was based purely on the diminished presence the Ancient and Noble Houses currently have in our world, Rita. Unfortunately due to the atrocities committed by Grindelwald and later by Voldemort, in the last two wars we as a community have lost several prominent families over the years. Before 1940 Britain boasted a Magical population of one hundred and four thousand people. Since then our numbers have continued to dwindle and today, we barely have around thirty two thousand Magicals living in the UK. Since the Potters hold the strongest blood relation to the Peverell family, I saw the opportunity to revive an Ancient and Noble House and I took it. The only stipulation to the Peverell Lordship was that one could not be both Lord Potter and Lord Peverell. _

**_RS:_** _Those numbers are certainly eye opening, Harry. I don't think the average person realizes how much our world has suffered at the hands of the past two Dark Lords. I find myself curious as to what our Ministry is doing to prevent such a loss in the future._

**_LPD:_** _I feel the same way as you do about the situation, Rita, and I even looked into what the Ministry has done to prevent such a thing from happening in the future. Sadly what I found did not fill me with either hope or confidence._

**_RS:_** _How so?_

**_LPD:_** _Well, the problem we are facing is actually two fold. First, the DMLE has been severely affected due to the drastic decline in the quality of Hogwarts graduates in recent years. As a result of this, they have been forced to not only reduce the minimum requirements for the Auror program, but also spend valuable department resources to re-teach the young cadets the course material they should have already learned in their DADA and Potions classes. _

**_RS:_** _Surely that can't be possible, Harry. Hogwarts is the premier Magical school in the entire world._

**_LPD:_** _Unfortunately that is a common misconception in Britain, Rita. If you look through the yearly reports the ICW releases on the top 25 schools worldwide, Hogwarts is only listed at number 16. Up until 1950 Hogwarts did hold the title for the best Magical school in the world, but since then it has been on a steady decline. Today Hogwarts, Britain's supposed premier Magical school, is not even the highest ranked school in its own country. I believe that honor goes to St. Georges, which ranks number 12 on the ICW's top 25 list. _

Apparently my outrage must have been evident on my face, because Lord Peverell-Daniels didn't hesitate to show me the reports he was speaking of. To be honest readers, I was not prepared to see the proof of how far a National treasure like Hogwarts has fallen.

As I flipped through fifty years of documented NEWT scores from every Magical school in the world, I was stunned to see how poorly Hogwarts students scored in comparison to their peers around the globe. The steady decline was evident across all core subjects, and in the past ten years things have reached an all time low.

From what I was able to deduce from the reports in my hands, not only did our children score below average in the majority of subjects tested for the NEWTs, but their scores in DADA and Potions put them in the bottom five percent of all students worldwide.

**_RS:I'm reading these reports, Harry, and I still find it hard to believe the proof that is sitting right in front of me. How could Headmaster Dumbledore have let this happened? _**

**_LPD:_** _I'm not sure what the Headmaster is thinking, Rita, but I can assure you that the main reason behind the school's fall from grace, can to traced back to several changes made to the curriculum of all core subjects over the years._

**_RS:_** _The curriculum? Why would Hogwarts do such a thing?"_

**_LPD:_** _To be honest, I can't give you a reason as to why the changes were made, but I can show you proof that they were done. If you compare the course guidelines and the texts that were used by my grandparents generation, my parents generation and the current students attending Hogwarts, you will find that significant alterations have been made to the curriculum of every subject taught at the school. As it stands now, students are only learning half the things their grandparents learned in the same classes. Having said that, if it's any consolation, Rita, short of Potions, History, Muggle Studies and DADA, I have the utmost confidence that the Hogwarts staff is just as good as any other school in the world. _

**_RS:_** _While I am pleased to hear that our teachers are still thought highly of, I'm curious as to why you singled out those subjects, Harry._

**_LPD:_** _Well, in the case of DADA, the professor in charge rarely lasts more than a year. I believe the longest lasting teacher in the past fifty years, was only able to stay for two consecutive years. As a result of constantly having to switch between different teaching styles and methods, students lack the continuity they need to master the already limited curriculum they have to learn. As for History, sadly Professor Binns refuses to teach anything beyond Goblin rebellions and I can't fathom why a ghost is still teaching at the school. Since he was also a teacher of yours as well, Rita, I'm sure you know that the class is often used by students to catch up on their sleep. The Muggle Studies is quite frankly a joke, and the curriculum he uses is at least fifty years behind the times. And then finally we have Professor Snape._

**_RS:_** _Isn't Professor Snape one of the youngest Potions Master's in recent history? I'm surprised you would put him in the same category as the other three._

**_LPD:_** _Professor Snape is without a doubt one of the true Masters of his craft. If I ever needed to take a Potion made by the man, I would never once hesitate to use it. His talent at brewing is well known by everyone in the community, and no self respecting Potions expert would deny the man his ability. However, his skills with a cauldron do not translate to his teaching ability in the classroom. This should be evident by the lack of NEWT students we've had in the subject since he began his tenure at Hogwarts. I'm sure it's not intentional, but his failure in the classroom has severely affected the future of Magical Britain. In the past ten years we have seen a large drop off of Healers and Aurors in our community and since both these professions require a NEWT in Potions, it's understandable why this has occurred. _

**_RS:_** _Once again I am shocked and appalled by what I'm hearing. I'm stunned that nothing has been done by Albus Dumbledore or the Board of Governors to rectify this obvious lack in our children's education. What surprises me even more is why you even decided to attend Hogwarts, Harry. _

**_LPD:_** _A large part of that is due to tradition, Rita. Potters have been going to Hogwarts for centuries now, and despite what I know about the school, I didn't want to break from tradition. Besides, I would like to reiterate that in most cases, it's the curriculum and not the teacher that is to blame for the student's lack of knowledge. After I complete my Masteries in Defense Against The Dark Arts, Potions and Runes this summer, it is my intention to also get one in Transfiguration and Charms. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick are widely considered by their peers to be at the top of their respective fields, and it would be a true honor if either one of them deemed me worthy for an apprenticeship. _

**_RS:_** _I'm sorry, Harry, but I think I misheard you. Did you just say you will be receiving your Masteries in Potions and Runes AND D.A.D.A. this summer? _

**_LPD:_** _Yes I did, Rita._

**_RS:_** _How is that possible, Harry? You have yet to even finish your first year at Hogwarts. _

**_LPD:_** _That's easily answered, Rita. Once an individual has passed his/her NEWTs in a given subject, there are two different ways for said person to achieve a Mastery. The most common route is to find a certified Master to apprentice under for a period of five years, and then to pass the Masters exams that is regulated by the ICW. The less known route also involves passing the Masters exams, but in lieu of an apprenticeship you must in front of a panel of certified Masters, present a never before seen discovery or show significant improvement upon a minimum of three known discoveries already present in a given field. _

**_RS:_** _Does this mean that you have already completed your NEWTs in Potions and Runes, Harry? _

**_LPD:_** _That is correct, Rita. I tested out of several subjects a few weeks before Yule break began._

At this point readers, Lord Peverell-Daniels presented me with the results of the exams he recently took at the Ministry, and I have to admit I was stunned by how well he did. The following is a copy of his test results, and it has been verified by Madam Griselda Marchbanks, who is the head of the Wizarding Examination Authority for the Ministry of Magic.

**_Single Test Examination_**:

Dueling=O(Highest score on record)

Flying=O

Healing and First Aid=EE

Human Languages(French and Italian)=EE

Non-Human Language(Gobbledegook)=EE

Physical Education=O

Politics and Law=O

Wizarding Etiquette=O

**Multiple Test Examination(Combined Score):**

Ancient Runes(OWL and NEWT)=O(Highest score on record)

Muggle Studies(OWL and NEWT)=EE

Potions(OWL and NEWT)=O(Highest score on record)

Defense Against the Dark Arts(OWL and NEWT)=O (Highest Score on record)

Based on these results, Lord-Peverell Daniels received 13 OWLs and 4 NEWTs. For those of you who doubt the veracity of these scores, I would like to point out that all Exams taken at the Ministry are done under the guidance of a proctor and with the use of Anti-Cheating Quills.

**_RS:_** _Congratulations on such a wonderful achievement, Harry. It's obvious you are already on par with the best and brightest our world has to offer and I have no doubt you will do great things in the future. Though I am confused about several of the subjects you tested out in, and I'm sure many of my readers will feel the same way. Perhaps you can explain them to me. _

**_LPD:_** _Of course, Rita. Which subjects are you curious about?_

**_RS:_** _To be honest, I'm curious about all the Single Examination subjects that you took. None of them are taught at Hogwarts, and I'm curious as to why these tests are available at the Ministry._

**_LPD:_** _While it's true that none of these courses are currently offered at Hogwarts, Rita, sadly that wasn't always the case. Up until 1960 all of the subjects were once electives that were not only available to all students at Hogwarts, but several of them were also required by the DMLE in order for someone to apply for Auror training. I took them in honor of my Grandfather, Father and Godfather, who all served the Ministry honorably for several years as Aurors. _

**_RS:_** _I can see how Dueling as well as Politics and Law may have been required electives to join the Auror program, but I'm still confused about the other subjects. How would they be necessary to apply for the DMLE?_

**_LPD:_** _Not a problem, Rita. I'll go through the rest of the subjects with you. First off we have flying. The average Witch and Wizard today will be unaware of this, but the DMLE once had a branch that was trained to track and fight enemies while flying a broom. These specialized forces were instrumental in protecting our world during the second Muggle World War, but due to numerous budget cuts over the years this branch of the DMLE is no longer in active service._

**_RS:_** _That is certainly news to me, Harry, and I for one will look into why these specialized forces are no longer part of the DMLE. What about the next subject on the list? I believe it was Healing and First Aid._

**_LPD:_** _Since certified Healers are too valuable to take into the field, this particular elective taught the basics of battlefield medicine that all Aurors in the past were required to know. Since the elective is no longer offered at Hogwarts, the DMLE is forced to dip into their yearly budget to teach all incoming trainees in the proper use of field dressings and which Potions are necessary for a given injury. _

**_RS:_** _That would certainly be useful knowledge for the men and women that serve to protect us, and it also seems like a class that would benefit future Healers as well._

**_LPD:_** _You're absolutely right, Rita. I'm not really up to date on the requirements necessary to become a certified Healer, but knowing the basics of Emergency medicine can only be a boon to future Medi-Witches and Wizards._

**_RS:_** _What about the physical education elective, Harry? _

**_LPD:_** _Most Witches and Wizards believe exercising is a foolish concept that Muggles use in an attempt to stay healthy, because their own innate Magic protects them against the mundane diseases that normally affect the Muggle population. Over time this laziness has been further compounded by our society's need to do even the simplest things with Magic. However, it has been medically proven that a healthy body and mind not only enhances the potency of a person's Magical core, which makes casting spells easier, but it also increases their Magical reserves, which helps with the number of spells an individual can cast before Magical exhaustion sets in. This particular elective was actually one of the big determinants for future Auror candidates, since the first two years of training centers around improving an individual's physical strength, speed and stamina, and it's also the time period during which the majority of trainees drop out. As the first and last line of defense for the Magical community, Aurors are forced to deal with the darkest elements in our world on a regular basis, and as such they all need to be in better than average shape._

Once again my surprise must have been easily evident on my face, because the young Lord didn't hesitate to produce the source of his knowledge. The book he gave to me was Bordlam's Guide to Magical Cores, and it was written by Mungo Bordlam. For those of you who are unaware of the importance of this Wizard, he was the man who started St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

While I didn't have time to read through the book during the interview, I did go through the pages Lord Peverell-Daniels highlighted later on. Apparently in 1667 Mr. Bordlam ran a case study that involved 153 Witches and Wizards from England, France and Belgium.

After a year of extensive research and documented experimentation, Mr. Bordlam concluded that Witches and Wizards that lived an active lifestyle, had larger Magical cores and reserves than their sedentary peers.

Quite frankly I'm stunned this knowledge isn't known to the masses, especially because it has stunted the growth of entire generations of Witches and Wizards worldwide.

**_RS:_** _I'm really impressed, Harry. Unlike the rest of the people I interview, you certainly came prepared to back up all of your claims._

**_LPD:_** _Thank you, Rita. I know the Magical world has several preconceived notions on how things should be, and I think it's high time they learned the truth about how things really are. _

**_RS:_** _I couldn't agree more, Harry. Shall we continue with the remaining subjects?_

**_LPD:_** _Of course, Rita. The last two electives on the list were Languages and Wizarding Etiquette. While both electives would have been beneficial for Aurors, because they would often deal with or have to guard the foreign dignitaries that would come to Britain, these classes were actually more useful to those who desired to work at the Ministry after graduating from Hogwarts. When coupled with the Politics and Law elective, the trio of classes gave students a well balanced foundation for future Ministerial positions. Unfortunately, because these classes are no longer available to the students, future graduates that apply for Ministry work are forced to learn by trial and error while on the job. This in turn leads to several unnecessary mistakes which makes our Ministry seem incompetent to the rest of the world._

**_RS:_** _I can clearly see how useful these electives would have been to students when they entered the real world, and having dealt with numerous Ministerial faux pas over the years, I am truly surprised such useful courses were removed from the curriculum. But our Hogwarts tangent has gone longer than I originally planned. Earlier in the interview, you mentioned a two fold problem with the Ministry. We've covered the educational concerns, but now I would like to know what you consider the second problem to be._

**_LPD:_** _The answer to that question is both simple and complex, Rita._

**_RS:_** _How so, Harry?_

**_LPD:_** _After the fall of Lord Voldemort_(yes readers the young Lord actually said the name)_, our society was barely hanging on by a thread. Between the numerous loss of lives our community was forced to endure, and the massive amounts of property damage the war cost us, it was expected that rebuilding was going to be a long and expensive process. At the time it made sense for the Ministry to raise taxes to help finance the new construction, but ever since the renovations were complete, taxes have failed to return to normal. In fact, they have actually been raised twice since then. In that same amount of time the budgets for various departments have been decreased to less than half their original yearly quota and the hardest hit has been the DMLE. I find this to be unacceptable. The DMLE is meant to be the first and last line of defense for our world and I find it worrisome that this department is so severely underfunded. From talks I've had with my father and godfather, it has become a common practice to have Aurors provide their own armor while in the field. What is our government doing with the surplus money our taxes are providing them with, if we are forcing the men and women that protect us while we sleep, to buy the tools they need to keep us safe. Shouldn't this be something the DMLE provides for their employees?_

Once again readers, I was absolutely shocked by the proof Lord Peverel-Daniels provided for me. Based on the amount of money our Ministry is earning per year, it makes no sense why there have been so many budget cuts for each department. The fact that this has led to hard working Aurors having to provide for their own defense, is not something any of us should be pleased to learn. It's only because of the sacrifice these brave men and women make for our world, that the rest of us can go to sleep in peace.

**_RS:_** _Thank you for the information you have given me, Harry, and I promise you I will be questioning the Ministry about this soon enough. Unfortunately we are nearing the end of our interview, so I wanted to know if there was anything you wanted the readers to share with the readers._

**_LPD:_** _You're very welcome, Rita and I'm glad I could open your eyes to the truth. As for a message to your readers, the one thing I can say is that our world has been stagnant for too long. For generations we as a society have rested on the laurels of our ancestors, and I believe it's time we did something about it. Traditions are important, because they remind us where we come from, but they should not stop us from bettering ourselves as a community. For all the younger generations that are reading this, I urge you to spread your wings and shoot for the stars. Our world is in dire need for a change and it's up to us to make that happen. It is the responsibility of the younger generation to improve what the generation before us has left behind and that is what I plan to do with my life. It is my dream to change our world for the better and improve the quality of life we already possess. It is my hope that the rest of you will join me in this endeavor and help make our world a better place._

As soon as he put the paper down, Harry could see everyone staring at him. While most of the students looked at him with awe, others had a more calculating gaze. But it wasn't their reaction he was worried about. When he turned his attention towards the teacher's table, Harry sighed in relief to see the proud smiles he received from McGonagall and Flitwick and completely ignored the hateful glares he got from Dumbledore and Snape.

In his old world this interview would have meant an immediate conversation with Dumbledore in the Headmaster's office, but so far he had yet to have any contact with the old man. Now that he wouldn't have to deal with Dumbledore's pawn in class anymore, Harry was curious to see if the manipulative old goat would finally reach out to him.

* * *

Gellert watched as his pawn paced angrily in his office, muttering threats and curses with every step. Normally such a thing would have amused him greatly, but the young Potter's interview was not to be taken lightly.

Ever since Gellert replaced Albus in Britain, he had done everything in his power to systematically strip future generations of the knowledge they would need to challenge him again. After decades of slowly dumbing down their society, he was now looked upon by Magical Britain as the second coming of Merlin himself.

But after that interview, everything would change. Gellert knew his carefully crafted persona had taken a massive hit amongst the majority of the population and once other people verified the facts of the article through the ICW, there would be a lot of questions he would need to answer. It made him furious that some stupid little first year was about to ruin all of his plans.

At that point Severus stopped his pacing and glared at the older man. "This is all your fault, Albus," he snarled. "I wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't listened to you. I demand you expel that arrogant little shit immediately. I will not stand for Potter slandering my good name."

Over the years in his guise as Albus, Gellert was often forced to be many things. Sometimes it was the patient but powerful Headmaster of Hogwarts, while other times it was the wise and kindly old grandfather. Regardless of what mask he was wearing at the time, there was a limit to how much disrespect the Dark Lord was willing to take from those he considered to be beneath him.

In his rage Gellert released the full force of his Magical aura and his normally twinkling eyes were quickly replaced by an inferno of power. The very walls crackled from the intensity of his Magic, and it was enough to make the Potions Master realize to whom he was speaking.

"Do not forget who you are speaking to, Severus. If it weren't for me, you would be nothing more than a shit stain in a Azkaban cell."

Severus winced at the anger he heard in the normally calm Headmaster's voice and the moment he felt the older man's aura press down on his own, he knew he had gone too far with his tantrum.

It was well known the Headmaster was one of the few men is former Lord was afraid of, and the last thing he wanted was to make such a person angry. Without Albus' support, he knew he would have joined his Death Eater pals in Azkaban.

"I'm sorry, Albus," Severus replied in a contrite manner. "My anger at Potter's spawn took me surprise and I spoke without thinking."

Gellert let his aura remain for a little bit longer and then slowly reeled it back in. "You are forgiven, Severus. I know how much the article will affect you amongst your peers, but I cannot do anything against Mr. Potter. Not only is he a brilliant student, but nothing he said was actually wrong. For now I want you to slowly begin to improve your teaching in class. Unfortunately the article has exposed problems I would have liked to keep hidden, and I fear we may soon face a review from the Governors."

As much as we wished otherwise, Severus knew Potter would not be punished for the interview. Hoping the incident had changed his Master's view of the boy, he asked, "I take it this means you will no longer pursue Potter to join your future plans, Albus?"

Gellert shook his head and replied, "No, Severus. Mr. Potter is too unpredictable for me to keep alive. Unfortunately he is too well known for me to deal with immediately, but rest assured that he will die when the time is right."

Snape was slightly appeased with the small victory, until he remembered another segment of the article. "And what of his Potions Mastery, Albus? I have worked hard to become the youngest Potions Master in history, and I have no desire to lose my title to that arrogant little boy."

It took all of Gellert's will power not roll his eyes at the petty man, but he knew his pawn needed a victory. "Do not worry, Severus. If the boy passes the written test, I will have you assigned to the review committee that will judge him for his Mastery. Without an apprenticeship to call upon, the boy must either produce an original Potion, or improve upon three existing ones. Despite his intelligence, I doubt he is skilled enough to create a Potion from scratch, so you can easily judge his improved Potions as being inadequate. I will make sure the other members that are chosen for the committee will be those who are of like mind."

For the first time that day Severus felt his lips twitch in a smile, and he bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you for the help, Albus. Now, if you no longer have need of me services, I will take my leave."

As soon as the Headmaster waved for him to go, Snape spun around, his cloak billowing behind him, and left the office. Now that Potter's spawn was excused from his classes, he wouldn't be able to get his revenge there, but thanks to Albus he could now look forward to crushing the boy's spirit over the Summer. The only thing that could make the moment sweeter for him, was if Potter Sr. and his gold digging whore would be present to see him do it. Ruining the day for all three of them would easily become a memory Snape could use to power his Patronus.

* * *

As he walked down the dimly lit corridor with Madam Bones, Harry found himself once again surprised by the invitation to meet the Minister. A month had passed since his tell all interview with Skeeter was published for the world to see and since then she was able to release another three articles on the Ministry's failures, all verified facts thanks to the small army of Private Investigators Harry had sent against the government.

By now the Cornelius Fudge he knew from his old world would have begun a massive slander campaign against Harry and his friends. As a result of this foreknowledge the Potter-Peverell-Black-Longbottom Alliance was more than prepared to retaliate against any form of thuggery that came from the Ministry, but Cornelius had not once tried to force the Prophet to do his bidding. This left Harry wondering what type of man this world's Fudge really was and so he instructed his P.I.s to dig deeper into the current Minister.

Unfortunately the Fudge from his old world was murdered well before the end of the Second Blood War, so Harry didn't have any Veritaserum trial memories to call upon to help his Investigators. His own interactions with the puffed up Wizard didn't begin till right before his third year at Hogwarts, so other than being a Malfoy lackey and having a healthy obsession for taking bribes, Harry was limited in the background he could provide for his P.I. his Investigators were some of the best that money could buy, and they were able to gather the necessary information without him.

According to the report Harry received two days ago, Cornelius Oswald Fudge was the Pureblood son of Potions Brewer Brandon Arthur Fudge and the grandson of Leonard Franklin Fudge, the former Minister of Magic before Millicent Bagnold took the reigns in 1975. An average student throughout his time at Hogwarts, Fudge joined the Department of Magical Catastrophes straight out of school. Though known to be a mediocre Wizard in both power and skill, Cornelius quickly showed he was a force to be reckoned with in the political arena.

Over a span of twenty five years, the former Hufflepuff worked his way up to becoming the Junior Minister for the Department of Magical Catastrophes. According to the numerous reports Harry read through, he was surprised to learn that not only was Fudge highly respected by the majority of his peers, he was also awarded several times in the field for his actions in preventing Magical catastrophes from breaking the Statue of Secrecy. His status in the Ministry as a "go getter" is what allowed him to become a dark horse candidate for the Minister of Magic position, upon Bagnold's unexpected death in November of 1990.

Fudge began his campaign to be Minister, by starting off as an Independent candidate with no allegiances to any of the major factions in the Ministry. Despite this handicap, he quickly joined Bartemius Crouch Sr. and Pius Thicknesse as the most likely candidates to succeed the former Minister. Whereas Crouch Sr. was backed by the hard-nosed Light families and Pius supported by the majority of the Dark Alliance, during the course of his campaign Cornelius somehow managed to gain the aid of the Grey or Neutral families.

In a startling come from behind victory, Cornelius Fudge succeeded Millicent Bagnold as the Minister of Magic in December of 1990. However, his popularity wouldn't last long. Within weeks of taking up office Cornelius was not only responsible for massive budget cuts within every department in the Ministry, but he was also accountable for the third increase of taxes since the war with Voldemort came to an end.

His decisions initially brought upon the ire of several prominent families in the Wizengamot, but through a series of carefully constructed political maneuvers and no doubt several dubious favours, he was able to avoid any serious backlash amongst the Noble Houses as well as the general populace. At least that held true until the Queen of Quills began publishing her articles against the current regime.

What bothered Harry the most about the situation was Fudge's lack of loyalty to any particular group. Despite owing his position to the Neutral or Grey families, according to the Wizengamot sessions Harry had gone through, Cornelius was just as capable of supporting the Dark and Light families, as he was the Neutrals.

In his old world Harry was used to dealing with a Cornelius that was nothing more than a greedy, weak willed little man, that was easily controlled by whichever person could give him the best chance at money or fame. From what he'd learned of the Minister in this world, Harry was not looking forward to going up against the cunning and intelligent version of the man. Especially when he had no idea which side this Fudge would support once Voldemort made his inevitable return.

Harry was pulled from his musings when Madam Bones stopped in front of a door. Immediately recognizing the office he was about to walk into as Amelia's, Harry was curious why the Minister of Magic would want to meet him a Department Head's office.

As soon as he followed Madam Bones into the room, Harry quickly noticed Fudge and his father waiting for them, the pair leaning back into their respective leather chairs, each with a glass of Firewhisky in his hand.

When Harry first informed his parents about Fudge's request for a meeting, they knew it had to be in regards to the articles that were published in the Prophet. Over the break Harry shared with his parents some of his plans for the future and while they were mostly supportive of his ideas, they weren't exactly thrilled by his decision to attack the Ministry through the press.

It took hours of hard work, but eventually Harry was able to convince Padfoot and his parents that if they wanted to see a change in the Ministry, first the people would need to know about the truths that were being hidden from them. Once he explained to them that the articles would only print verified facts and nothing of conjecture, the trio reluctantly agreed to his plan.

Unfortunately when Fudge's letter for this meeting finally arrived, Lily's paranoia caused her to have a change of heart in allowing her son to deal with the situation. She tried to convince him he was too young and naive to meet with political sharks like the Minister, but after several letters and two floo calls, his father and Padfoot finally managed to convince Lily to let him go as long as James accompanied him to the meeting.

When he saw the Minister and his father look his way, Harry smiled at both of them and said, "Good morning, dad. Good morning, Minister Fudge."

"Good morning, son/Good morning, Lord Peverell-Daniels," the pair answered in unison.

Harry's emerald eyes carefully raked over the now standing Minister, and he compared the man to the Fudge he once knew. While physically the two men were identical in their appearance, it was the bearing of the man in front of him that set him apart from his counterpart. It was evident to anyone with a pair of eyes that this world's Fudge was a confident man. One who wouldn't be intimidated or cowed easily.

"Please, Minister Fudge, as this is not a formal setting I would prefer it if you would call me by my first name."

"Of course, Harry. And please feel free to call me Cornelius. Things will certainly be easier if we can keep things informal during this meeting."

"I couldn't agree more, Cornelius," Harry answered back. "If you don't mind, could my father and I have a moment to ourselves before we start this meeting?"

Fudge nodded his head slightly in agreement and moved a respectful distance away from the pair.

While father and son took a moment to have a personal conversation, Cornelius used that time to look at the newly arrived young man. Despite knowing the boy was not even twelve years old yet, he was surprised by the young Lord's physical appearance. To him Harry looked more like a seventh year than a first year and so far his very presence seemed to command attention.

If he was being honest with himself, Cornelius was more than pleased by what he saw. Based on the extensive reports his people had provided him on the boy, the young Lord could very well be the answer to all of his problems. He knew this meeting was quite possibly the greatest gamble of his life, and for the sake of his and the Magical world's future, he prayed Harry was everything he hoped he would be.

Eventually the father and son pair finished their sidebar and returned to their seats. "Sorry again for the delay, Cornelius," Harry began. "But now that we're ready, I'm curious to know why the Minister of Magic would want to meet with someone like me."

Normally a master of double talk and hidden meanings, Cornelius had no desire to have such a conversation today. If he truly wanted the Peverell-Potter-Black-Longbottom Alliance to support his plans for the future, he knew this meeting would require a more direct approach.

"I know you are behind Rita Skeeter's recent articles against the Ministry, Harry, and I would like for you to stop them immediately."

Harry arched an eyebrow in surprise. He was certain he had covered all his tracks in regards to his dealings with the reporter and though he hated to admit it, Harry was slightly impressed that Fudge was able to find out he was backing her.

"And why do you believe that I have anything to do with Miss Skeeter's articles, Minister?"

Cornelius took a sip of the firewhiskey in his hand to calm his nerves and then replied, "Because the moment Rita's article on you was released, I had my people look into you, Harry. I'm not sure what kind of deal you have with the woman, but based on the flat you purchased for her and the hefty amount of galleons that have recently found their way into her vaults, I can safely assume you are the one financing her articles against the Ministry."

Harry remained silent by the blunt response and then calmly replied, "Tell me, Cornelius, have any of the articles against you and the Ministry been wrong?"

As he leaned back into his chair, the Minister of Magic knew this was the moment he was waiting for. If things went according to plan he would have the young Lord and his political power on his side, and if they didn't he would soon find himself a new home in Azkaban. For the future of the Magical world, Cornelius prayed his gamble on the young man paid off.

"No, Harry. The articles aren't wrong. In fact, right here in front of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement I Cornelius Fudge admit the articles against myself and the Ministry are one hundred percent accurate. I have accepted bribes from multiple sources, I have siphoned off money from every donation made to the Ministry, and I am completely responsible for the tax increase as well as the multiple budget cuts faced by each department. But I'm also willing to swear an unbreakable vow that not a single knut that was taken found itself into my personal vault or any non-Ministerial vault that I have control over."

Harry was shocked by the revelation and by the expressions on his father and Amelia's faces, he knew they were equally stunned by the Minister's admission of guilt.

"You do realize, Cornelius, that by admitting this in front of Madam Bones, she can arrest you for embezzlement?"

"Part of the reason Amelia is here today, Harry, is because I know that she has been investigating my office on her own. If not now, then within a few months her people would have eventually found out the truth."

"What about the money, Cornelius?," Harry asked. "If you didn't take the money, then where did it go?"

Fudge seemed to ignore the question and replied, "You're a brilliant young man, Harry and if given a chance, I have no doubt you will change our world for the better. The things you have already managed to accomplish at your age are simply mind boggling and if my people hadn't shown me proof of your discoveries, to be honest I don't think I would have believed them."

"Discoveries?," Harry asked, trying to act confused. The last thing he wanted was for the Ministry to know about his cure. "I'm not sure I understand what you are talking about, Minister."

"There's no need to be coy with me, Harry," Fudge replied with a knowing smile. "I'm well aware of your recent breakthroughs. While I admit that your runic array to make Magic work with electricity took me by surprise, it was your cure for Lycanthropy that shocked me the most. I never thought a discovery like that would be possible in my lifetime. If that wasn't enough, your current building projects will go a long ways towards bringing our society out of the dark ages."

James' eyes narrowed dangerously at the Minister. He knew for a fact that Harry had gone through great lengths to keep his plans a secret, and he didn't like how much the man knew about his son. As his paternal instincts raged inside of him, he had to force himself to control his emotions. He wasn't sure how or why Fudge was so interested in his Prongslet, but he would be damned before he let anyone harm his family.

"You seem to know a lot about my son, Cornelius," James said, as he forcibly restrained himself from growling at the man. "I find myself curious as to how you know these things about him."

Despite the obvious tension in the air, Fudge met the Lord Potter's angry glare with a smug smile. "I didn't become the Minister of Magic by being an idiot, James. Throughout my years of service to the Ministry I have made connections with people and races that would leave even you elite Nobles green with envy. I assure you, there is nothing in the world I can't find out if I set my mind to it."

Harry could tell the Minister wasn't boasting, but simply stating a fact. "Be that as it may, Cornelius, I fail to see what my actions have to do with you stealing from the hard working people of Magical Britain."

Cornelius sighed deeply at the accusation and in a single gulp he finished the remnants of the firewhiskey in his glass. "First off, I would like to reiterate that I haven't stolen as single knut from the people or the Ministry. Before I explain myself any further, I have a question I would like for you to answer.."

When he saw Harry signal for him to continue, Fudge asked, "What exactly do you know about me, Harry?"

"Excuse me? I don't think I understand what you're asking me, Cornelius."

"You're a smart lad, Harry. I have no doubt that between you, your father and Lord Black, you must have prepared for this meeting. As part of that preparation, I'm sure you hired people to learn whatever you could about me. I'm curious to know what you found out."

So far this meeting hadn't gone anything like Harry imagined, but oddly enough he found himself enjoying the conversation. There was something so refreshing about dealing with a blunt and open Cornelius Fudge, that Harry couldn't help but smile at the situation.

"You're right, Minister. My family and I did do our due diligence in regards to you. Where would you like me to begin?"

"Wherever you think is best, Harry. I'm sure I will be correcting you soon enough."

The sheer confidence that was coming off of Fudge made Harry doubt his knowledge briefly, but he had faith his Investigators had done their research well. "All right then," he started. "You are the Pureblood scion of Brandon Arthur Fudge and Elizabeth Ann Fudge nee Rosier, as well as the current Head of the Magical House of Fudge. Your grandfather was the former Minister..."

Harry stopped when he heard the Minister laugh out loud and asked, "Have I said something funny, Cornelius?"

"My apologies, Harry, but everyone always makes that mistake. To be honest, not only am I not a Pureblood, but I didn't even begin my life as Cornelius Fudge."

Once again the Minister's revelation left everyone in the room stunned. But this time it was Amelia who responded. "What do you mean you aren't Cornelius Fudge? If you aren't him, I demand you tell me where he is."

Cornelius saw Amelia's wand slip into her hand, but he made no move to arm himself. He was well aware of his dueling ability, or lack thereof, and didn't think for a minute that he could defeat anyone in that room. Instead, he grabbed the bottle of firewhiskey on the table and poured himself another double shot.

"I never said I wasn't Cornelius Fudge, Amelia," the Minister replied, as he took a sip from the glass. "I only stated that I was born someone else. I assure you that I am the man who was elected as the Minister of Magic and I would be more than willing to take an Unbreakable Vow to prove it."

Amelia was slightly mollified that her boss was still her boss, but that didn't stop her from keeping her wand out. "Who were you before you became Cornelius?," she asked curiously.

Cornelius smiled sadly at the question and after a moment he began a story that would leave the other three occupants in the room in utter disbelief.

"I began my life as Edward Cowden, the only child of a beautiful young woman named Jessica. My mother was the eldest of four children, and for the most part she was loved by her family. Unfortunately that changed right after her sixteenth birthday. One night she snuck into a bar with some friends, only to wake the next day alone in a sleazy motel, clueless about what happened to her the night before and unknowingly pregnant with me. As soon as her parents found out about her condition, they demanded that she get an abortion. When she refused to get rid of me, they didn't hesitate to kick her out of their home."

"Despite the struggles she faced as a single teenaged mother, my mum never once blamed for her problems. She worked hard to provide us with the little we had, but it was enough for me, because we had each other. And then one day it all went away. The night after my tenth birthday, I went to sleep as Edward and woke up as Cornelius."

Amelia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Throughout her years as an Auror she had seen many sick and twisted things, but never in her life had she heard of something like this. "How is that even possible, Minister?"

"Through a dark ritual called the Blood's Mirror, I became Cornelius Fudge in both body and mind," Cornelius answered.

"What exactly did this ritual do, Cornelius?," Harry asked curiously.

"After being kidnapped from my mother, I was obliviated of my original memories and a magical bond was forcibly created between myself and the real Cornelius. The ritual then used him as a template, while Blood Magic converted my body, blood and mind to mirror his. In short, I literally became Cornelius Fudge."

"I have seen rituals that affect the body and the blood, but I have never heard of one that affects the mind in such a manner," Amelia stated, her voice tinged with disgust. "How is that even possible?"

Cornelius shrugged his shoulders in response. "I have no idea about the specifics, Amelia, since I never cared enough about it to search for the ritual. All I know is that the real Cornelius' memories were absorbed by me. When I woke up the next day, I had no recollection of ever being Edward and as far as I was concerned I had always been Cornelius Fudge."

"Why would Brandon do this to his own son?," Harry asked.

"Because his son was a squib," James answered, knowing it would be easy for many Purebloods to do. "But why did he pick you?"

"He picked me, because I was also his son, and the ritual can only be done between blood relatives." Fudge explained. "Apparently my father had a thing for younger women. Since he couldn't appease his fetish amongst proper Wizarding society, he would drug young Muggle girls, rape them and then obliviate their memories of the night. My mother was one of his many conquests."

Amelia was sick to her stomach with the story. As a woman she couldn't fathom being violated in such a manner, but the Auror in her needed to know all the details. "If he only slept with the women once, how did he know of your existence?"

As soon as the question was asked, James knew what the answer would be. Having received the letter when Harry turned ten, he said, "The Goblins told him."

Once he saw the confused expressions appear on Harry and Amelia's faces, James explained, "After the last Goblin rebellion, the Treaty of 1407 made it illegal for anyone but Goblins to have a bank anywhere in Magical Britain. Since all Magical families were forced to place their vaults in Goblin controlled territory, the Treaty also made them responsible for Magical inheritances. By Ministry law it is required for all Heads of Houses to declare their Heirs at Gringotts and in most cases Pureblood families do this as soon as their first child is born."

"Can we please leave the history lessons to Binns, James," Amelia interrupted. "What is the point of this story?"

James flashed her the famous Potter smile. Having been good friends with Amelia's younger brother when they were kids, he'd known his former boss for a very long time, and took delight in annoying her. "Don't get your knickers in a bunch, Milly. If you would let me continue, I can explain it to you."

As soon as she heard that hated nickname, for the thousandth time Amelia regretted getting drunk and telling her former underling how she got that name. "Fine," she replied through clenched teeth. "But make it quick, James. Unlike you, I still have a lot of work to do."

"Even though The Treaty made the Goblins officially responsible for Magical Inheritances, they still had to work in conjunction with Wizarding Law. In 1695 the Wizengamot passed a law that prevented Squibs from being named the Heir of any Magical House."

That was news to Harry. With stupid Binns always going on about Goblin rebellions, Harry never learned much about the Wizarding World's history. "Are you telling me that less than two hundred years ago Squibs could become the Head of a House? How is that even possible, dad? I thought Squibs didn't have any Magic."

"That's a common misconception, Harry," James replied sadly. "Despite what Purebloods want everyone to believe nowadays, Squibs are still classified as Magical beings, because they can see and interact with Magic. The reason for that is because Squibs do have a limited amount of Magic coursing through their blood. Unlike Muggles, most Squibs have enough inherent Magic to make Potions, charge Runes or even see Magical creatures like Dementors. They just don't have enough Magic to bond with a wand. In the old days if there wasn't a suitable candidate available for a blood adoption, some families would even allow a Squib son to inherit over a Magical daughter, so they could keep the family name going and not get absorbed by another House. Usually in these cases, if the Squib didn't produce a Male Heir of his own, they would blood adopt the second son from a sibling or a first cousin."

"Then why the change? Why did Squibs go from having at least some form of respect in our world, to be being treated as if they were less than human?"

"The answer to those questions requires a little more backstory, Harry," James answered. "In the late 1600s after the British Crown created several colonies in the new world, our Ministry decided to do the same. Back then our population was the highest it's ever been and with the limited amount of decent paying jobs going straight to the Purebloods and half-bloods, there wasn't much available for the Muggleborns. As soon as the Ministry released their intent to expand into the new world, there was an exodus of hundreds of well educated Muggleborns that were ready and willing to leave for the new world.

During that time blood status was viewed differently than it is today, and so a Pureblood Squib was viewed to be on par with a Muggleborn Witch and Wizard, since even without Magic his or her blood was somehow better than theirs. From what my grandfather told me in his stories, things were getting so bad between the two groups that if the option to leave for the new world had not become available, he was certain there would have been a Civil War.

Unfortunately for the Ministry, the majority of people they sent to start the new government in the colonies, was composed primarily of Pureblood sons that would never get a chance to inherit anything worthwhile in Britain. As soon as the first Wizarding community was created in Salem, these newly appointed Nobles began to grow mad with their first taste of power.

Within a few months of their arrival, the Muggleborns started to chafe against the new Wizengamot's authority. When the Nobles began passing laws that would strip them of even more of their rights, they had enough. All of them left Britain to escape the prejudice they faced because of their blood status, and now that they were free, they had no desire to continue living life under the same yoke of oppression.

It took six months of planning before the Muggleborns took any action, but in a bloodless coup d'etat they overthrew the Wizengamot and the handful of Aurors that came with them. Thanks to their planning, the leaders of the coup had the basis for a new government already in place and as soon as it was ratified, they stripped the Purebloods of all their possessions, Obliviated their memories of the village, and portkeyed all seventy five members back to Britain."

Harry laughed at hearing that. "I bet the wankers at the Ministry didn't care for that too much."

"No they didn't, kiddo," James replied with a smirk. "According to my grandfather, the entire Wizengamot was furious over the revolution, and several of the old families demanded that the "Mudbloods" be brought to justice for attacking their betters. In retaliation, the Ministry sent out fifty Aurors to bring the leaders of the revolution back for trial, but they weren't prepared for the Muggleborns to fight back."

"Fight back?," Amelia asked with an arched eyebrow, obviously concerned about the Aurors.

"That's right, Amelia. Apparently the Aurors that were sent refused to acknowledge the new government and tried to take the leaders by force. Of the fifty men that went there, only three made it back alive. The rest were killed in battle, their possessions stripped from their bodies, and their remains returned with the survivors. Needless to say their actions resulted in a declaration of war."

As the history lesson continued, Amelia was stunned that she knew none of it. She didn't know whether to be surprised that a prankster like James knew it so well, upset that she didn't, or furious at the obvious cover up done by the Ministry so that the history behind this war was erased from all archives.

"How the hell do you know all of this, James? I may not be a history fanatic, but I did receive an E in my NEWTs for the subject. None of the history books mention these events."

James shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Because of my great-grandfather, Amelia. The man may have been a Curse breaker by day, but he was an avid Historian by night. He recorded these events in his Lord's journals, which were then passed down to my grandfather. Since my grandfather was also a big fan of history, he would often tell me these stories when I was a kid. Once I took over as the Head of House, I learned even more by reading the journals myself."

"How long did the war last, dad?," Harry asked, before Amelia could continue her rant against the missing history.

"Oddly enough, the Magical version of the Revolutionary War started a year before the Muggle one and lasted for half as long. The three years of fighting was brutal on both sides, but in the end the colonists came out victorious in almost every skirmish or major battle."

"How is that even possible, James?", Amelia asked in shock. "You said that only a few hundred Muggleborns made the trip to the new world, so the Ministry should have easily outnumbered them in every engagement. The war should have lasted weeks, not years. I can't believe the Auror Commanders back then were that inept."

"It wasn't that the Aurors were inept, Amelia, they just weren't prepared for the Muggleborns to have formed alliances with the locals."

Amelia was caught off guard with James' response. While she would readily admit that Muggles today were a force to be reckoned with, back then their technology was no match against fully trained Witches and Wizards.

"Alliances? With Muggles? How would that help them, James? Back then Muggles lacked the technology to be of any use against Magic."

"The Alliances weren't with normal Muggles, Amelia. The new government formed Magically binding treaties with several Shamans from neighboring Indian Tribes. Since these men were highly respected by their people, they were able to convince their respective leaders to assist in the revolution. In return for Potions and other forms of Magical aid, the tribes sent hundreds of young warriors to assist in the war. Since Shaman Magic is more in tune with nature than our own, they were able to hide these men with their Magic. Every time the Ministry engaged the colonists, they were ambushed by dozens of warriors that were specifically Charmed to be invisible to the Ministry detection spells. By the time the Aurors figured out what was happening, the Ministry had already lost many of their best fighters. In the end it was easier for them to let the colonists be, and erase the war from their history."

"But why would the Ministry remove this information, dad?"

"Because of the Muggleborns still left in Britain, son," James replied. "For the first time in our history the Purebloods realized that their "superior" blood didn't stop them from being killed by those they thought were beneath them. Thankfully the Potters and Longbottoms were able to use the war as an excuse to repeal several of the harshest laws placed against the Muggleborns. The last thing the Ministry wanted was to fight another rebellion, so even the Dark families readily agreed to the changes."

"So how did the change for Squibs come into play?," Harry asked curiously.

The impromptu history lesson had left him parched, and James took a moment to finish the Firewhiskey in his glass. Once he was done, he continued, "The war cost the Ministry thousands of lives, Harry. Some families were hit pretty hard, and to keep their name going, many were ready to let a Squib son inherit. One of these families was the Noble House of Maximilian."

As the eldest child of an ancient Pureblood family, Amelia was well versed in the different Noble Houses that made up their world. For the life of her, she couldn't recall ever hearing about the Noble House of Maximilian. "I've never heard of that family, James," she stated hesitantly. "How could they be one of the Noble Houses?"

"I'm not surprised you don't know about them, Amelia,"James replied. "Well over a hundred and fifty years ago the Noble House of Maximilian became the Noble House of Nott."

Once again Amelia found herself stunned by the news, and she was really beginning to dread the feeling. "How?"

"After the war, Edmund Nott saw a chance to move the Magical House of Nott up in the world and he took it. As the star reporter for the Daily Prophet, Nott had dirt on several high ranking Ministry officials, as well as a few of the Dark families. He'd mostly kept that information to himself, but when news of Squibs inheriting the seats for multiple families was released by the Ministry, he blackmailed the officials to help him change the laws.

The Propaganda they spewed was that Britain needed to show its strength to the rest of the world, and if Squibs were allowed to inherit they would look weak. Through a mixture of blackmail and bribery he was able to get the law passed, and as the closest living relative to the Maximilian family, Edmund took over as the new Lord. Over the next few years the propaganda against the Squibs continued to be spread amongst the general population, and by the time the next generation came into power, everyone had forgotten that Squibs were once considered to be productive members of our society."

Harry hadn't researched too much on the inheritance laws for the Ministry, but he did remember reading that you couldn't change the name of any of the Noble Houses. "But why is it called the Noble House of Nott now?," he asked his father. "I thought you weren't allowed to change the name of any of the Noble Houses."

"That rule only applies to when you first inherit the name," James answered. "Once a family has held the seat for three consecutive generations, they can legally change the name to whatever they want."

By this point the silence permeated throughout the room, as everyone took a moment to reflect on the Ministry's forgotten history. Eventually Harry decided it was time to get back to the original story. Turning towards the Minister, he asked, "So, what was in the letter the Goblins sent to Brandon."

Fudge took a moment to gather his thoughts, and then answered, "Because Goblins have their own type of Magic, they are somehow able to track how much accidental Magic is done by every child that is born in Britain. Since The Treaty made them responsible for all Magical Inheritances, when a named Heir for a Magical House has not shown any accidental Magic, at the age of ten Gringotts sends a letter to the Head of House for the child, informing them that their son or daughter was a Squib. If at that time the family Head has any other children that registered as having done accidental Magic, the letter would also designate who the Goblins viewed as the next Heir to be."

"I take it the letter named you as the next potential Heir of the House, but I still don't understand why Brandon went through such great lengths to get you. The Treaty can't force Wizards to choose a particular Heir. Why not just re-marry and produce another Heir that way?"

Being a single woman forced to pave her way through a male dominated society, Amelia knew what must have happened. Even though she was only the Regent of House Bones for her niece, over the years she received several marriage proposals from minor Houses, but she knew they were all just trying to use the Ancient and Noble House of Bones as a stepping stone either financially or socially for their own families. Since Amelia was married to her job, she didn't hesitate to reject all of the proposals.

"He must have married into a wealthy family and didn't want to risk losing the dowry," she stated calmly.

Cornelius nodded his head in agreement. "Brandon spent the majority of his life getting by off my grandfather's name. He even used his family connections to get himself a Potion Brewer's license, but sadly lacked the ability to make a career out of it. When Leonard Fudge eventually passed away, Brandon assumed he would inherit enough galleons to live a life of comfort. Unfortunately for him, his father was an honest man and since my grandfather never accepted bribes while he was in office, the Fudge family wasn't as rich as many people assumed them to be.

In the end he realized his best chance at the life he wanted, was to marry into a wealthy family. The girl he chose was Elizabeth Rosier. Even though she was barely stronger than a squib herself, she was still the eldest daughter of a Noble House. The only reason her Head of House agreed to the marriage was because Brandon was a Pureblood and the son of the former Minister of Magic. When the marriage contract was created between the two families, it was written in a way to make sure that Elizabeth was never subservient to a lesser House. Due to his incompetence Brandon didn't realize until after the marriage was complete, that the Fudge family didn't actually receive a dowry from the Noble House of Rosier. Instead, the agreed upon money was deposited into Elizabeth's personal vault and she provided her husband with a monthly stipend.

When Elizabeth died during childbirth, her Will left everything to her only son. As his father Brandon tried to claim the vault for himself, but the marriage contract prevented him from doing that. The best he could do was claim Regency on behalf of his son, and he was content with the increased monthly stipend that gave him. But when the Goblins sent the letter..."

"Brandon realized the Rosier family would never let a Squib inherit the vault, and once they banished him from the family, the remaining monies would be returned to them," Harry finished.

"That's right, Harry. After the Goblins sent him the letter, Brandon decided his best chance to keep the life he had grown accustomed to, was by using the Blood's Mirror ritual on me."

"How did he find out about the ritual?," Amelia asked, wondering how an incompetent man like Brandon could find out about such a rare form of Magic.

Cornelius shrugged his shoulders in response. "To be honest, I have no idea, Amelia. But since the Rosier family is part of the Dark Alliance, I don't think it's a stretch to think Brandon must have made connections with some of the other Dark families. For the right amount of gold, just about anything is possible in our world."

As much as she hated to admit it, Amelia found herself nodding her head in agreement. For all the wonder the Magical world had to offer, it was tempered by the equal amounts of darkness that was rampant throughout their society. From her years of experience dealing with the seedier side of their world, she knew for a fact that enough gold could make just about anything possible.

While Amelia was contemplating the horrible things she'd dealt with in her career, Harry was left wondering if the history of this world's Fudge was the same as the one from his old world. If it was, he wanted to know what caused the change.

"When did you realize the truth, Cornelius?"

"Midway through my fifth year at Hogwarts, Harry," the Minister replied with a sad smile. "A couple of Slytherins attacked a Hufflepuff Muggleborn on our way to class, and I accidentally got hit with one of their stray spells. To this day I'm not sure what the purpose of the spell that hit me was supposed to be, but it somehow managed to unravel a small portion of my original memories. At first I thought the memories were just some dreams, and I tried to ignore them, but when I remembered the night Brandon _Obliviated _me before the ritual, I knew the memories were real. At the time I wasn't sure who I could trust with this knowledge, so I decided to go the Goblins for a checkup. It was their Healers that helped me recover all of my old memories."

"Why didn't you tell anyone the truth, Minster?"

"Please, Amelia. After everything I have shared with you today, I think it's safe for you to call me by my name now."

When he saw the Head of the DMLE nod her head, Cornelius continued, "After regaining my memories, I was disgusted with myself. I spent the majority of my time at Hogwarts mocking and ridiculing those I thought were beneath me, just like I was taught to do by my family. When I learned who and what I really was, I was sickened by my actions. At first I thought about telling the truth to the DMLE, so I could make Brandon pay for his crimes against myself and the real Cornelius, but after finding my mother I decided against it."

"Why?," Amelia virtually demanded from her boss. "What Brandon did to you violated so many of our laws, that he would have spent the rest of his life in Azkaban. Why did you let him remain free?"

"Because Azkaban wouldn't have been enough of a punishment for him," Fudge replied coldly. "Brandon ruined my mother's life. Since raping her wasn't enough for him, he had to turn her into a mindless husk as well. The night he _Obliviated _Jessica during my kidnapping, he somehow managed to damage her brain in the process and turned her into a vegetable. Even the best Mind Healers I hired couldn't do anything to reverse the effects. Because of that bastard Jessica Cowden will spend the rest of her life needing someone to feed her, clothe her, and wipe her arse. All because she was born a fucking Muggle."

At that point Amelia recalled how Brandon Fudge actually died. During the previous Elections she personally ran the background checks required for all of the candidates and now she could clearly remember Cornelius' file. Brandon Fudge had been found dead in knockturn alley, two weeks after his son had reported him missing. From the reports in the file, it was determined that Brandon had been tortured for days, but at the time she dismissed it because his son had never been considered as a suspect.

"You killed him," she stated, not knowing whether to applaud the man's actions, or arrest her boss for murder.

"Of course not, Amelia," Fudge answered with a smug grin. "I knew Jessica wouldn't want me to ruin my life for a few weeks of pleasure, so I embraced my inner Slytherin to get my revenge."

"Then what did you do, Cornelius?"

"The night I graduated from Hogwarts, I slipped Brandon some Veritaserum during our celebratory dinner, and learned all of his dirty little secrets. I then turned around and shared those secrets with every single one of his enemies that I could track down. I have no idea which one of them finally finished that bastard off, but I can assure you I was more than pleased with his final end."

Despite the sudden tension in the room, Harry found himself siding with the Minister. He stopped being a naive little boy that didn't believe in killing, long ago. But deep down Harry knew there was more to Cornelius' decision, and he wanted to know what it was.

"I'm sorry, Madam Bones, but despite your feelings on the matter, the Minister has done nothing wrong. Sharing his father's secrets with the man's enemies is not considered a crime by the Ministry and since he has no idea which one of them actually committed the deed, you can't even charge him as an accessory."

Amelia turned the full force of her ire towards Harry, and she was surprised when the soon to be twelve year old returned her gaze without flinching. Few in her life had managed to accomplish the feat, and she found her respect for the young Lord growing once again.

"Fine," she growled back at Cornelius. "But why continue the charade? Now that you have had your revenge, why not tell everyone the truth?"

"Now that is a question I also want the answer to, Madam Bones. I believe the Minister when he says he was disgusted by what was done to him. So I'm curious to know why he continues to live the life that was forced upon him, rather than go back to being Edward Cowden."

"Because, Harry, as Edward Cowden I could never hope to accomplish what I could as Cornelius Fudge."

"And what exactly is that, Cornelius?," Amelia asked her boss.

"I hope to change our world for the better, Amelia," Fudge answered without hesitation. "I'm tired of the bigotry and corruption that runs rampant throughout our society. I despise the fact that other races are given little if any respect as Magical beings. I can't stand that Britain loses dozens of brilliant Witches and Wizards every year to other countries, just because their blood isn't considered pure enough for some people. It disgusts me that Purebloods can attack Muggles in clear violation of our laws, but only receive a slap on the wrist if their caught, because the Ministry views Muggles to be less than human.

For far too long our society has remained stagnant and if things don't change soon, I fear for the future of our world. Muggle technology continues to grow in leaps and bounds, and if our bigoted ways aren't addressed soon, one day we will upset our neighbors too far, and on that day our way of life will come to a painful end."

The response was not what the veteran Auror was expecting. To be honest she thought it was a little crazy. As much as she hated how things were for Muggleborns and Half-bloods, many of those laws existed since the beginning of the Wizengamot and in her opinion it wasn't possible for one man to make such a difference. No matter how hard he tried, the old families would never willingly give up any of their power.

Before she could say anything, she heard Cornelius continue, "I know you may think me naive or delusional, but I didn't become the Minister of Magic on a whim, Amelia. From the moment I joined the Ministry, it was always my goal to get where I'm at today. The past twenty five years I worked my butt off to get noticed within the Ministry. I have no wish to disrespect the dead, by Bangold's death couldn't have come at a better time for me career wise. I was probably the most popular dark horse candidate for the Minister ,since the position was first created."

"You know, Cornelius," James began. "I always wondered how you gained the support of the Neutral families. Augusta was voting as the Potter proxy at the time, and she was certain that Crouch would be the next Minister."

"The reason for that is Dolores Umbridge."

As soon as Cornelius saw everyone wince at the name, he couldn't help but laugh at their reaction. "I know she's a vile woman, but Dolores has her uses. Despite her oh so many faults, when it comes to blackmail, she's easily the most resourceful woman I have ever met."

Amelia gasped at the admission. "You blackmailed the Neutral families into voting for you, Cornelius?"

"Of course not, Amelia," Fudge replied with a smirk. "I would never do anything so coarse or underhanded. I just let Delores know that if she got me the votes I needed, once I became the Minister of Magic, I would be more than willing to name her as my Undersecretary. Politically speaking, my hands were clean."

"I hope you don't actually trust that woman, Cornelius. Some of her ideas in regards to Magical Creatures are absolutely deplorable."

"The fact that we are having this conversation in your office and not mine, should tell you how much I trust my Undersecretary, Amelia. And as for her ideas, I have no intention of letting that woman pass any of the ridiculous laws she continues to push at me. I want to make our world a better place, not cause another war."

It took a moment for Amelia to realize what her boss was implying, and her face quickly turned red in anger. "She bugged your office, Cornelius?," she asked, hoping to have a reason to arrest the pink toad. "Give me the word and I can have her locked up by the end of the day."

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment, that won't be necessary, Amelia," Fudge replied. "For now Delores is a necessary evil and I need the information she can provide. As much as I hate to admit it, without her "skills", I wouldn't have been able to keep the Ministry from falling this past year."

Harry perked up at the last bit, and asked, "Why would the Ministry be in danger of falling, Cornelius?"

Fudge sighed as the million galleon question was finally asked. His entire reason for trusting in Harry and the Potter-Black-Peverell-Longbottom Alliance, could be traced back to this very question.

"The reason for that, Harry, is because the Ministry is completely bankrupt. Apparently Bagnold was using the Minister's account to finance her obscene lifestyle for years. I don't know how the stupid bint planned to make it to the end of her term, but as of now our government is over fifty million galleons in debt. If it weren't for the budget cuts and the tax increase I already implemented, the Ministry would have fallen a few months ago."

"Who else knows about this?," Harry asked in shock.

"As of now, other than myself and Franklin Binns, the Ministry's Chief Financial Officer, only the three of you know the truth. Thankfully access to the Ministry accounts is limited to Franklin and myself, so for the time being I have been able to keep a lid on things."

Amelia couldn't believe how dire the situation in the Ministry had become and now she wanted to know what the Minister was doing about it. "Why haven't you shared this information with the Wizengamot, Cornelius? I'm sure they could have done something to help you with the debt."

"I can give you several reasons for that, Amelia, but for now the two most important ones will suffice. First, if the public became aware of the situation, we would have riots in the streets. Frankly speaking, even before the budget cuts your department was ill equipped to handle such a situation."

As much as Amelia wanted to defend the DMLE, sadly she knew she didn't have enough Aurors to handle the amount of people a situation like that would entail. When she reluctantly nodded her head in agreement, Cornelius continued, "Second, as of now the only people capable of helping the Ministry get out of this mess are from the old families. While I have no doubt the Light families will help without asking for too much in return, can you really say the same for the Neutrals or the Dark Alliance. I shudder to think what kind of concessions they would demand in return for clearing the debt. My goal is to help bring a measure of equality to our world, Amelia. Not to give our ruling Elite even more power than they already have now."

As he stared at the Minister, Harry felt his mind race through a multitude of scenarios. While he was certain that the Light families would be willing to help with the debt, Harry wasn't naive enough to believe the help wouldn't come at a price. The fact that Fudge had kept the debt hidden even from them, could only mean the price was something he wasn't willing to pay.

**From everything Harry had learned about the Minister today, he would readily admit this world's Cornelius was a good man. If someone as shrewd as Fudge was willing to cover up the truth, it could only mean he had a plan already in place.**

"You obviously have no intention of telling the Wizengamot about the debt, Cornelius. I assume you already have a plan in place for it?

The sudden shark like grin that appeared on the Minister's face, was the enough to tell Harry what Fudge's response was going to be.

"That would be a correct assumption, Harry," Cornelius answer back with a smug smile. "Franklin and I already have a plan in place. Within five years we should have the entire debt erased from the Ministry accounts."

Harry's eyes grew as wide as saucers at the news. He didn't have to look at his father or Amelia to know they had to be feeling as shocked as him. Fifty million galleons was a fortune for even the old families and it was impossible for the government to come up with that kind of money in so little time.

"How can you possibly come up with that much money in five years, Cornelius?," Amelia asked, a part of her praying that it wouldn't be through shady dealings. The day's revelations had gone a long ways towards easing her concerns about the Minister, and the last thing she wanted was to be involved in anything illegal.

"The Quidditch World Cup, Amelia," Cornelius answered.

Of all the things James had been expecting to hear, that was not one of them. As an avid fan of the sport, he was well aware of how much money the World Cup could and did make for the countries involved. From what he knew, while fifty million was achievable for the entire event, it definitely was not possible for a single country.

The World Cup worked by the countries involved making bids to host matches for the qualifiers, the playoffs and finally the Championship game. It was impossible for a single country to win the bids for all of the games.

"That's just not possible, Cornelius. There aren't enough games for a single country to make that much money."

Cornelius turned his gaze towards James, and his grey eyes twinkled as bright at Dumbledore's when he knew something everyone else was clueless to.

"That may have been true in the past, James, but this time around the World Cup will actually live up to its name."

It took a moment for James to comprehend the hidden meaning behind the Minister's answer, but when he did his eyes lit up with a near maniacal glee. Despite its name the Cup was played only between countries that were part of the ICW, which usually meant the rest of the world was not invited. To a die hard Quidditch fan like himself, that was a shame because the Americans were known to have some of the best players in the world.

"You actually got the Americans to join the Cup?"

"Not just the Americans, Mr. Potter. Thanks to a lot of hard work on my part, and a sacrifice of almost all the favors I have accumulated over the years, I was also able to get the Japanese, Chileans, Chinese, Mexicans, Portuguese, Indians and the Africans to also join the World Cup. The upcoming games will have teams from all across the globe and I am on the verge of making sure that Britain has the rights to host ALL of the playoffs, as well as the Championship game."

"What about the qualifiers?," James asked, barely managing to keep his inner sports fan in check.

Cornelius shook his head and said, "Britain will have no part of hosting any of the qualifying games. Due to the additional countries involved in this World Cup, the format for the games will be different this time around. The Countries will be organized into five divisions, with each division having four teams. The top two teams from each division will then go on to the playoffs. The extra games will mean more revenue for everyone, which will be necessary to appease the egos of the other Ministries, once it's officially released that we will have the rights to host the playoffs and the Championship."

Amelia finally released the breath she didn't even know she was holding. As the Head of the DMLE, she spent the majority of her adult life upholding the law and right then she was thrilled the Minister had found a way to remove the Ministry's debt, without asking her to look the other way while he broke them. What bothered her now was why he even deemed it necessary to tell them anything. If he kept silent for a little bit longer, he would have easily solved his problems without anyone being the wiser.

"While this is certainly wonderful news, Cornelius, I'm curious to know why you decided to have this conversation with the three of us today. It's obvious you have already found a way to solve the Ministry's problems, so why reveal the truth about your past? Why admit to me that you have taken bribes and sequestered money from donations? You do realize that I can still arrest you for those things? I can't figure out why you would take such a chance, when you've already solved the problem by yourself."

Cornelius sighed, knowing that Amelia was right. Deep down he knew he could have accomplished his goals without telling anyone the truth, but it would have come at a price he wasn't willing to pay. As hard as he worked for the Greater Good of the Magical world, Cornelius had no intention of bringing about those changes by sacrificing the people he knew to be good.

In the past twenty five years he had spent working for the government, Cornelius would readily admit that Amelia was one of the most honest and trustworthy people he'd ever met at the Ministry. And despite his age, from the reports he'd read on Harry, the same could be said for the brilliant young Lord.

"Because of the investigations you and Harry are presently running on me, Amelia," the Minister answered. "If I already had confirmation from the ICW that we will host the playoffs and the Championship game for the World Cup, I assure you this conversation would never have happened today. Unfortunately I won't know for certain for at least a few more months and until I know for sure, I can't risk this news being leaked to the public or the Wizengamot. Between Miss Skeeter's articles, and your not so subtle Aurors, should anyone in the Wizengamot learn how bad things are at the Ministry, the news will spread like Fiendfyre. Once that happens, I have no doubt certain families would go out of their way to ruin my deal with the ICW, just so they could be involved with removing the debt and somehow gaining further power for the Pureblood Elite."

As much as she hated to admit it, Amelia knew something like that was very possible. Between the Dark Alliance and the Neutrals, there were several families that would be more than willing to jeopardize the Minister's plans, if it would mean gaining more power for the Pureblood Elite.

For the first time in her career she finally had a leader she was proud to follow, and in that moment she decided she would do her best to help him achieve his dreams. As much as she hated breaking the law, she didn't get to her position without knowing that sometimes the laws needed to be bent. Despite the Minister's admission of guilt, everything he had done was for the betterment of the Magical World. And that was something she could readily get behind.

"You have surprised me today, Minister, and that doesn't happen too often at my age. Now that I know the reasons behind your actions, I can honestly say that you are exactly the type of Leader our world needs at this time and I look forward to helping you achieve your dream for the future. You don't have to worry about my Aurors any longer, Cornelius. I will stop my investigations right away."

Cornelius blushed a little at the praise, and then nodded his head in gratitude. "Thank you, Amelia. You don't know how much your support means to me."

When Harry saw the Minister turn towards him, he couldn't stop the ear to ear grin that appeared on his face. Cornelius Fudge was nothing like the man he imagined before this meeting, and now that he knew the truth, he would gladly throw his support behind him.

"I agree with Madam Bones, Cornelius. You are exactly the type of Minister our world needs right now. I assure you Miss Skeeter won't be printing any more articles on you in the Prophet. But you don't have to do everything by yourself. If you will let me, I think my father and I can help you improve our world."

While he was pleased to learn that both investigations would no longer continue, Cornelius was taken aback by Harry's offer. He'd been hoping this meeting would help gain the support of the Potter-Peverell-Black-Longbottom Alliance, but he didn't think it would happen so soon.

"What do you have in mind, Harry?," he asked curiously.

Harry took a moment to gather his thoughts. So far Fudge's solution to the debt left behind by Bagnold would be incredible if he pulled it off, but it still left the Ministry working at the bare minimum. For the changes the Harry had in mind for the future, that just wasn't good enough.

"Your plan for removing the debt is an excellent one, Cornelius, but it still leaves our government working at the bare minimum. If you really want to change our world, it doesn't make sense to keep things as they are. I know your hands are tied due to financial concerns, so I want to donate five million galleons to the Ministry, to help ease your burden. Between that and the influx of money you will gain by taking my suggestion to remove the funding from the DMLE, you should have more than enough galleons to increase the budget for all the other departments in the Ministry."

"Excuse me?," Cornelius and Amelia exclaimed simultaneously.

"Why would you want to remove the DMLE's budget?," Amelia asked, barely keeping her anger in check. "We barely have enough to get by as it is."

"Because, Madam Bones," Harry replied calmly. "I'm hoping the Minister will let me finance your department until the end of the World Cup."

As much as he liked the young man in front of him, the Politician in Cornelius was immediately wary of the offer. No one gave out that type of money without wanting something in return, and for the first time that day Cornelius was worried he had judged Harry wrong.

"What exactly would you want in return for this generous donation, Harry?," Cornelius asked warily.

"Nothing," Harry replied honestly. "I know it might be hard to believe, but this is not a bribe, Cornelius. I have no ulterior motive behind the donation. I agree with your vision to bring equality to our world, and this is my way of helping you accomplish that dream."

Cornelius sighed in relief, pleased that his first impression of the young Lord had been the right one. The money being offered by Harry would go a long ways towards helping the Ministry, but he still wasn't sure about letting a private citizen finance the government's armed forces.

"I won't lie to you, Harry. Your donation would be very helpful for the Ministry, but I'm uncomfortable letting someone finance our armed forces. Why exactly do you want to do this?"

Harry knew the question was a reasonable one, and he did his best to reassure the Minister that he didn't want to control the department.

"Before I explain myself any further, Cornelius, I just want to state that I have no intention or desire to control the DMLE or Madam Bones in any way. The money I will provide will be placed in a new vault with the Goblins, and as soon as it's created, only Madam Bones and those she authorizes will be allowed access to it. I will not in any way, shape or form, dictate how or what she spends the money on."

Once he saw that his words had somewhat mollified the two Ministry workers, Harry continued, "As much as I respect the work our Aurors do in the field, according to my research, I'm sorry to say they aren't as good as their contemporaries in the rest of the world. Our DMLE is over-worked, understaffed and poorly trained in comparison to Aurors from other Ministries. I know we don't have the population to match the 1000+ Aurors that the Americans and the Chinese are capable of, but even amongst the smaller countries in Europe, we have the fewest number of Aurors. As the first and last line of defense for our world, that to me is unacceptable. I'm willing to provide the funds to change that, if Madam Bones can assure me of three things."

As she stared into Harry's piercing green eyes, Amelia could tell the young man's generosity wasn't hiding another agenda. If she was being honest with herself, she would readily agree with his assessment of her Aurors. Her current forces were a far cry in both skill and number from where they were during Grindelwald's reign, and she wanted nothing more than to rectify that glaring error.

"And what exactly would these three things be, Mr. Potter?," Amelia asked, hoping and in spite of her previous assumption, believing, the requests wouldn't be unreasonable.

"First, I want the DMLE to significantly increase the number of Aurors we have in the field. If I'm not mistaken, right now the Ministry has around one hundred and thirty active people in the department. By the time the World Cup comes to England, I would like that number to be around three hundred and fifty."

Amelia was surprised by the request, but it was definitely one she could get behind. Without even looking towards her boss for a confirmation, she replied, "That is certainly doable, Harry. As long as we have at least two years before the Cup gets here, I should easily be able to increase our forces by then."

When Harry saw Cornelius nod his head in regards to the time, he continued, "Second, I want you to promise me that any new recruits will not be chosen by blood status, but by ability and skill. I have no desire to fund second rate Witches and Wizards, just because of who they are related to."

Once again Amelia found herself nodding her head in agreement, but this time she had a smile on her face. Unlike her predecessor who often employed people based on their blood status, Amelia chose to hire people with the skills she was looking for.

Since the condition was something she already did, she quickly said, "That won't be a problem at all, Harry."

"My third and final request is for Madam Bones to create a subdivision of her department, that would act as our version of the Muggle Special Forces. Ideally this division would be composed of a hundred people, with fifty Aurors making up the Aerial division..."

"The Aerial division?," Cornelius asked in surprise, as he interrupted Harry.

"It would be composed of men and women that are trained to attack from their brooms, Cornelius" Harry explained to the Minister. "We used these forces during the last Muggle World War, and they gave our side an excellent tactical advantage against Grindelwald's people. I know for a fact the Ministry is still in possession of the training field these forces used in the past, and I would be more than willing to supply the Aurors with new brooms and invisibility cloaks."

Amelia found herself getting giddy at the thought of bringing back such a force to the department, and now she couldn't wait to learn what Harry had in mind for the last fifty members of the new unit. "What about the last fifty Aurors, Harry?," she asked excitedly.

"Those, Madam Bones, would make up your new Capture and Retrieval Squad. The fifty Aurors should be separated into ten teams of five people, with each team having three Combat Specialists, one Curse Breaker, and one Combat Medic. I want these teams in particular to have specialized training in methods beyond just spell casting. This should include training in both hand to hand combat, as well as learning how to use swords and daggers, in case they lose their wands during combat."

Having been quiet for awhile, James' eyes bugged out at his son's suggestions. While the Auror in him was thrilled his former department would get the boost they so rightfully deserved, the father in him worried how much these additions would end up costing his son.

James knew the men and women that were hired to these positions would ask for significant salaries, and stated that fact to Harry. "Are you sure about this, Harry? As much as I would love to see these Special Forces added to Amelia's department, can you really afford something like this right now? Between the Village and the Cove, you're already spreading yourself thin, kiddo."

Harry smiled at his father's concern, but thankfully he wouldn't have to dip into his reserves from his old world. The gold mines Death purchased for him were finally beginning to produce some dividends and with the fifty elves he'd assigned to them, he could easily afford funding the DMLE for the next few years.

"That won't be a problem, dad," he replied with a smirk. "The mines are finally producing some gold and I can easily provide what the DMLE needs."

Amelia was surprised the Potter family was in possession of gold mines, and as much as she wanted to ask about them, she was more concerned what the cost of creating this new Special Forces unit for the DMLE. While Harry was paying for things it wouldn't be a problem, but she couldn't see how the Ministry could afford this group later on.

"I'm not sure if the last request of yours is feasible, Harry," she replied reluctantly.

"Why not, Madam Bones?"

"While you're paying for things it wouldn't be a problem, but how would the Ministry afford the new group once they took over funding. The majority of the money the Ministry makes from the World Cup will be used to get rid of the debt that we have. I doubt there will be enough left to continue paying for these new units."

Harry sighed in relief, realizing Amelia's problem with the Special Forces was only a monetary one. "That's not a problem, Madam Bones," he replied. "After the World Cup, the money that is left in the new vault can be used by the Goblins for investment purposes. Between that and the Ministry budget, you should have enough money to sustain the new forces for quite some time. Hopefully in a few years, you can further decrease costs by agreeing to pay for specialized schooling."

"Pay for schooling?," Amelia asked. "Why would we do that?"

"It's a Muggle method for getting people to join the Military," Harry answered. "While I'm paying for things, we can easily hire teachers that specialize in Combat Magic, Curse Breaking, Hand to Hand Combat, Sword Fighting and Healing. Once cadets graduate from the Auror Academy, for those that are interested in joining the Special Forces units, you can offer to send them to these teachers in return for signing a ten or fifteen year contract at a fixed pay later on. Once the contract ends, they can leave for more money in the private sector, or sign on again with a new contract and higher salary. It's a win win for everyone."

Eventually the conversation moved on to less important topics, and after another hour of discussion, the group had enough for the day. As he followed Harry and James out of Amelia's office, Cornelius marveled at the recent turn of meeting today had gone better than he ever imagined, and with Harry and his father now firmly in his corner, for the first time in his life, Cornelius truly felt like his dream could become a reality.

* * *

**Everything before this point belongs to bigfan22 who deserves props for the amazing work. Thank you for allowing me to take this story and make my own impact on it. I hope I can do it justice. From Chapter 20 on is entirely my own.**

**Neither bigfan22 nor myself own Harry Potter**


	20. Plots, Villains and Escapes

**Chapter 20: Plots, Villains, and Escapes**

**Saturday, May 2****nd****, 1993 0700**

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore sat in misery. The knowledge that his mentors had committed the kind of atrocities needed for them to build the stone was a shocking one. It had nearly been enough to break him. Nearly, but not quite. Ever since the prison guards had betrayed him in 1949 he'd held out hope that someone would notice. But no one ever did. After nearly half a century of his life spent being barely fed, and unable to practice magic, he was incredibly weak. While Gellert took special care to ensure that he wouldn't die, that did not mean that he wasn't weak. The only thing he had left was his wits, and his tongue. While Gellert had often been referenced in regards to his silver tongue, and his ability to convince people of something, he was not the master of it. No, that ability of his he had learned at Albus' own hands. And while most of the guards were completely loyal to Gellert there was one, Ivan whom had never truly believed in him. Thanks to him, he was kept up to date in the latest ongoing of the wizarding world.

The jingle of keys and the opening of his cell door led Ivan bringing his Dailey Prophet and the day's meal. "Dumbledore."

"Ivan. Tell me, is there any progress?"

"I've managed to secure an owl. We've only got once shot at this. Do you have anyone you can trust to provide help? Once you're out, you need to get behind some pretty powerful wards as quickly as you can."

"James Potter. His Father was my right hand in the war. If I know Charlus, he raised James right. Between him and his eldest, if anyone is going to be able to help, those two will know."

"I'll do my best. I have to go now. Stay strong Dumbledore. We can't have you dying and that madman succeeding." With that Ivan left the cell. He hoped that he could reach this James Potter, and that the man was everything Dumbledore believed him to be. The fate of their world could very well depend on it.

That night, an owl made it's way out of Nuremburg. It's burden, a single letter that could change everything.

Meanwhile back at Hogwarts, Harry, Alex and Daphne were enjoying yet another picnic by the lake. With the end of term fast approaching, and many of his plans coming to fruition, this would be Harry's last chance to enjoy a day with his soon to be wives for a while. Even though none of them were the least bit concerned about not passing their year end exams, Harry had spent the last month putting the finishing touches on his plans for the coming summer. He knew that Dumbledore would seek to prevent him from getting his Potions Mastery. Snape was extremely proud of the fact that so far he was the youngest potions master in history. And in order to keep him Happy, Dumbledore would have to try and block Harry from usurping that title. That's why Harry had enlisted help from Cornelius. Telling him his fears, Cornelius had promised that he'd ask his contacts to ensure that the only people on the panel were open minded and fair. Why they couldn't stop Dumbledore from loading the panel with those against Harry, they could do their best to ensure that the people chosen were at least fair. And with the ICW having announced this last week that Britain would host the Playoffs and the Finals, Harry was enjoying things going right for a change.

But none of that was on Harry's mind right now. No he right now, he was focusing on his girls. "So, Alex, what are you're plans for the summer?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'm going to try and get Dad to take us on a family vacation. It's been a long time since we went on one, and there's this Youth Spell Weaver camp in France this summer that I want to go to. Other than, I'm not sure. Daphne?"

"I'm probably going to work with my father in the Wizengamot. I know you said that I could take the Peverell seat but I'm not emancipated and there's still a lot I need to learn about politics before I'm ready. What about you Harry? You seem like it's going to be a busy summer for you."

"It will be. I'll be sitting in on a couple of sessions of the Wizengamot, but I'm also presenting my runic array and the cure, T.E.D. should hopefully be enough to get me the Mastery for Defense. That'll be during the second week of summer. Between that, and the other projects I've told you about, I'll be pretty busy all summer. Neville got his Grandmother to agree to let us host him for the third week too."

"Sounds like you'll be busy." At Daphne's disappointed tone, Harry moved closer and hugged her. "Well, I will be, but I'll never be to busy for my girls." The trio shared a hug before enjoying the rest of their warm picnic. Even Harry with all his knowledge of the other world, could never have predicted that their summer was going to be far busy than he could ever imagine.

That evening Harry sat in his private room with Neville, Alex, Daphne and Hermione going over their Transfiguration homework. Harry was on edge. Last night they had helped Hagrid smuggle out the dragon to Charlie Weasley. The fact that it had happened nearly a month later in his world meant that Voldemort had already figured out the rest of the traps. And with Dumbledore having been gone all day, as well as McGonagall and Flitwick, Harry thought that Voldemort would make his move tonight.

"No, see the wand movement there at the end, you're adding too much of a flick. It's supposed to be more of a jab. That's why-" Harry cut off as he felt the magic of his detection ward ringing. Sometimes Harry really hated being right.

"What is it Harry?" Alex asked seeing Harry go white. "Voldemort's making a move on the stone right now. And with the only two teachers I trust gone, we have to stop him. If he get's his hands on that stone, it will be bad for everyone."

"I'll go with you Harry." Neville said immediately. Voldemort had killed his parents and while he was intending to die, he would not, could not, allow him to get his hands on an object with the power of the stone. The girls quickly attempted to convince the two boys not to go, but instead to call Harry's father and have him bring Aurors to deal with it, but Harry convinced them that there wasn't time. So instead, each of them offered their support. Ever since Halloween Harry had trained the three girls and Neville, hoping that they could avoid this fight, but realizing that they most likely wouldn't let him do it alone. So instead, he did his best to ensure that they would each come out unharmed.

"Fine, but hurry. We go in five minutes." With that he quickly made his way up to his bedroom and changed into his Basilisk Hide Combat robes. After the troll, Harry had realized that they'd need some kind of armor if they were to be dealing with threats on a regular basis. So he'd secretly commissioned five sets of armor that were kept in his room.

Stronger than Dragon hide, and not nearly as heavy, they'd provide the group with better protection. Unfortunately, only the vest had come in so far, the rest of the armor not finished yet since Basilisk Hide was so rare and hard to work. And since Harry hadn't gone into the chamber yet, he didn't have ready access to a source.

He quickly threw his on and then brought the other four downstairs where he had everyone else put theirs on, then put a robe or something over it. It wouldn't do to have their advantage known so quickly. Once everyone was dressed they quickly and quietly made their way from the tower to the third floor entrance. Once there Harry spoke up. "Alright, remember this isn't a game. Anything past this door could kill us. If I tell you to run, the run. Don't stop. Don't hesitate. Run as fast as you can to the Owlery. Owl Flitwick and McGonagall. Remember the training I gave you. Do you all understand?" Seeing everyone nod with determined looks on their faces, Harry opened the door where Fluffy lay, using his wand to quietly and quickly move the Cerberus' paw off the trap door. Once he opened it, the harp in the corner stopped playing. "Let's go. Move." Neville went down first, followed by Hermione, then Alex and Daphne. After Daphne jumped Harry heard the growling creature and wasted no time jumping. Hermione again cast the sun charm to the Devil's snare let them go, and they made their way to the next room. In there, once again they found a series of keys, and Harry once again made the catch before they moved onto the giant chess set. "I 'spect we have to take their place. Alex, you're the best at chest out of us. It's your game." This time Harry took the place of a knight, Neville was a bishop, Hermione was a rook, Alex was the other knight and Daphne took the place of the queen. Alex was great at chess. She wasn't however, as good as Ron, and so they nearly lost several times before she made the same decision Ron did. "Alex." Harry said with a pained expression. "You know what I have to do Harry. It'll leave you free to check the King."

"What are you two talking about?" Hermione asked. "She's going to sacrifice herself."

"No you can't there must be another way."

"Do you want to stop Voldemort from getting the stone or not? It's not any of us who's going to defeat him. Harry and Neville are the best bets. Knight to H3." And with that the others were forced to watch as Alex sacrificed herself. Once the queen had taken her out, Daphne and Hermione had made a move to go to her. "NO! Don't move. Don't forget. We're still playing." With that Harry walked across the board and put the king in Checkmate. Only once the sword had fallen did Harry rush to the side of his betrothed. The rest of the group quickly joined him. "Mia, Daphne, get Alex out of here. Get her to the hospital wing and then go for the Owlery. Me and Neville will go on. Make sure you put her vest back in my chambers. Go! Now!" Hermione and Daphne picked Alex and up, and then turned back. Then Daphne quickly slipped out of Alex's arm and rushed to hug Harry. "Be safe Harry." She then gave him a kiss that lasted for a few seconds and then turned and ran back to Alex. Harry smiled slightly as he raised his fingertips to his lips and then dropped the smile as he turned back to his god-brother. "Are you ready Nev?" The boy nodded and Harry clapped him on the back before together they went to face the rest of the series of traps guarding the Stone. Or rather, it's replica. Not that Harry ever intended to tell anyone that. The stone would be 'destroyed' in the sure to come fight.

The two boys quickly passed through the chamber where the troll lay dead, and Harry cast the flame-freezing charm to allow them through the 'protection' that Snape had made. It was time to fight Voldemort. "Neville you go first, I'll stay hidden. We have to let him make the first move.

James Potter sat at home in his study. His wife had taken their two youngest out to Diagon Alley and with Harry still at school, that meant he had Potter Manor all to himself, which was rare these days. It allowed him a chance to contemplate his life this last year. For years he had been estranged from his eldest, seeming like he barely knew him, and then ever since that fateful day at Gringotts, his son had been almost a completely different person. He'd gone from being a hateful young man to a man who was striving to improve their world. He'd gone from being stingy, to suddenly exceedingly generous. And he'd gone from being thought of as a squib to the most talented student Hogwarts had ever seen. And his incredible sense of business had allowed him to develop ways to increase both the Potter and Peverell fortunes. With the Gold mines producing gold, his Oil reservoirs were currently being tapped as events in the Muggle world had started to skyrocket Oil prices, Harry had smartly decided against tapping the reservoirs quickly. Even moving as fast as they could, it would take at least twenty years to drain the oil from his land, and with Harry only moving at half that, it kept the oil prices high, and allowing his son to rake in the money. He was doing the same thing with the Gold from his mine.

James was broken from his thoughts by an unfamiliar owl landing on his desk holding out a letter. Only after casting numerous detection charms did he remove the Owls burden and open it. The letter was written in blood.

_Herr Potter,_

_My name is Ivan. I'm a guard at Nuremburg. In 1949, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore visited the prison. He never left. Instead, Gellert Grindelwald had gotten most of the guards on his side, and those who weren't hid their allegiance least we be killed. Grindelwald uses the Lemon Drops injected with Polyjuice to masquerade as Dumbledore. Until now, we didn't know who to trust, but the information about your son in the Prophet, and Dumbledore's own experience with your father has led us to believe that you may be our only hope of getting him out of here and stopping Grindelwald from taking over. Time is running short. Grindelwald will visit for more hair for the Potion on the soon, although I don't know when. Dumbledore needs to be gone before then. He has been, through the use of runes, kept from using his magic for the better part of half a century. His advanced age, and lack of access to his magic and decent food means that he is dying. We've currently fooled the Dark Lord into believing that Dumbledore will live for many years to come but that couldn't be further from the truth. The truth is, that if he doesn't get out of here soon, he will die. Please help us Herr Potter. You are our only hope of stopping this madman._

James read the letter, then had to re-read it a few times before he suddenly paled. If this was true-no. It was written in blood, and James could practically feel the magic pouring off of it. That meant it was written with a blood-quill spelled to keep the writer from lying. He had to get in contact with-his son. His son was near that Dark Lord.

It took all his skill to keep from leaping up and rushing to Hogwarts to find his son. Instead, he immediately took out the communications mirror, and called Sirius, telling him to get over as quickly as possible. Next he called his wife telling her to bring the kids home right now, the manor was going on lockdown in three hours. He ignored her questions and then called Amelia, Moody, and Cornelius. Only then did he call his son.

Daphne was pacing in Harry's room when she heard the mirror going off. Hearing Harry's father's voice she quickly rushed over to his bedside table and grabbed it. "Mr. Potter!" She said. James took one look at her Armored figure and began to worry. Even though the armor was hidden underneath her robe he hadn't been one part of the best set of Aurors outside of Mad-Eye Moody for nothing. "Daphne, what's going on? Where's my son?"

"Dumbledore hid the Philospher's stone in the school. Voldemort went after it tonight. Harry, Neville, Alex, Hermione and myself went to stop him. Alex got hurt and Harry ordered me and Hermione to get her to the hospital wing and then send for help."

"Is 'Dumbledore' not in the school?"

"No, him and Professor's McGonagall and Flitwick have been gone all day." James swore. "Listen to me very carefully. I want you to get Alex and your friend Hermione. After that I want you to try and find my son. Gellert Grindelwald has been posing as Dumbledore since 1949. The real Dumbledore is trapped in Nuremburg. Hogwarts isn't safe. We're putting together a team now, but I need you to get yourself, Neville, Alex, and Harry out. Bring your friend Hermione. A team of Ministry Aurors is on their way to the school right now. Stay in Harry's room until they get there. Don't open that door up unless they give you this phrase, 'Appearances are deceiving, but actions are inmutable.' Do you understand?"

"I think so. How am I supposed to get Alex out of the Hospital Wing?" James swore again. He hadn't thought of that. "Do you know the stunning spell?"

"Yes, Harry taught us, but I'm not very good with it."

"That's fine. Use it. Then bind Madam Promfrey. Do that to anyone, student or teacher, that you come across until the Aurors get there. A man named Kingsley Shacklebolt will be the leader. I have to go. Stay safe kiddo." Seeing the fear in his son's betrothed eyes nearly made James want to come to the castle himself. But if fake-Dumbledore really was away then they had to get to Nuremburg as fast as possible. "I will. Mr. Potter?"

"Yes Daphne?"

"I'm scared."

"So am I. But you have to be strong for me okay?" The girl quickly nodded and James ended the call. Merlin, he hopped they were doing the right thing.

Harry dodged the curse from Quirrell and sent back a reducto. Neville was currently wandless, and doing his best to get back to his wand to help his godbrother. Their plan had gone well at first but Voldemort had sensed Harry shortly after Neville had backed away from the mirror. It meant that Neville had the false stone right now, and the only thing standing between him and a defenseless Neville was Harry.

"Give up boys. You cannot hope to defeat me." Voldemort hissed from the back of Quirrell's head. "Yeah, we'll give up as soon as you die snake face." A growl answered that comment from Neville and Harry might have both applauded his godbrother on his courage, and then slapped him for his stupidity. He'd given away his position ten feet from his wand by responding to that, and only his quidditch reflexes had spared him from receiving a killing curse. Unfortunately it also had him diving _away_ from his Wand, which allowed Voldemort to get right up to him. As Quirrell wrapped his hands around Neville's throat, Neville attempted to throw the stone to Harry, who had just cast his most powerful bombarda spell at the possessed professor. The fake stone was shattered by the curse, it's shrapnel finding it's way into the back of Quirrell, knocking him off Neville, who, upon seeing the effect his touch had on him, immediately grabbed onto his face. Soon enough Quirrell collapsed, and Neville and Harry were left panting. "Well, at least we know he won't be getting the stone anytime soon. Come on. Let's get back to the girls."

It took Neville and Harry fifteen minutes to get back to Harry's room where they found Alex passed out on the couch, and Daphne tending to her. "What's going on Daphne? I thought I said to get her to the hospital wing?"

"You're father called. He wants you to get us to Potter Manor immediately. He said something about Dumbledore being Grindelwald and the real Dumbledore being trapped in some Nurnbug." Hermione said in response as she came down the stairs that led to Harry's room. "What?!" Harry was stunned at this information but if it was true, then he didn't have anytime to waste. "Quickly, to the fireplace. It has a direct floo connection to Potter Manor. You don't have to be a part of the wards if you go through there." Daphne and Alex went first followed by Hermione and then Harry carried the barely up Neville to the fireplace and sent him on the way. He was going to a different place.

He was going to rescue the real Dumbledore.

James Potter was not a happy man. To have found out the headmaster of Hogwarts was one of the worst Dark Lords in History in disguise. Then to find out his son was currently facing the _other _Dark Lord had nearly caused him to have a heart attack. While he was well aware that his son had a grasp of magic that bordered on instinctive, that didn't stop him from worrying. Unfortunately, he had an equally as important task and could thus, not go to his son's aid. And so James, Sirius and a group of fourteen Aurors appeared outside of Nuremburg prison, immediately coming under fire by the guards. "We have to get to Dumbledore before they call for help!" Sirius shouted out at him. In the chaos of battle, neither noticed the white phoenix flames that burst into being above the prison. The phoenix dropped its load, Harry, at the edge of the battlements and then flamed away.

Harry for his part, looked at the battle going on below and sighed. He wished that he could go down there and help, but he had a more important task. Getting Dumbledore out before Grindelwald showed up. With that he turned away from the battle and made his way with his wand out towards the roof entrance.

Down below, Harry's arrival hadn't been missed by one member of the Auror team. Mad-eye Moody watched with his magical eye as the son of one of the best Auror's he'd ever trained arrived via phoenix. Knowing that their task had just switched from trying to get to Dumbledore to trying to keep the guards occupied long enough for the boy to get him out. He turned his full attention back to the guards. Knowing that if he told James what his son was doing James would lose focus and probably die, he kept the knowledge to himself, keeping an eye on the boy with his magical eye as often as he could.

Harry turned the corner and then turned back quickly. Standing in front of a cell was two guards. Clearly the most experienced, they were there to keep Dumbledore in, or kill him if they couldn't. Harry rolled around the corner and cast an exploding curse and a bone breaker at the two. The first wizard barely dodged the exploding curse but his bone breaker did manage to hit the second wizard, breaking his wand arm. The first guard immediately turned and cast some spell at his companion that caused him to collapse. "My name is Ivan Herr Potter. I'm the one who sent the letter to your father."

"And why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm willing to take a magical oath as to that fact." The man, Ivan did just that. "Now, are you going to waste even more time or are you going to help me get this man out of here?"

James was growing weary. Although they were slowly taking out the prison guards it was going far to slowly for his tastes. "We have to hurry. Grindelwald will be here any minute now." James shouted to Moody. Just then a storm of power hit the Aurors and knocked a few of them onto their back where they were quickly killed by the prison guards. "It's far to late for that." And there in front of them, stood Grindelwald. His Polyjuice having worn off as he had run out of sweets on him and didn't have time to get anymore once the guards had alerted him the Nuremburg was under attack.

It was then that James saw his son, slowly creeping around the back with Dumbledore over one shoulder, his wand arm free and taking aim at Grindelwald. His heart in his throat, James watched as his son fired a bolt of what looked to be pure magic at the back of the dark lord. Before the bolt even reached Grindelwald, a flash of light appeared and whisked Dumbledore away. Harry then sprinted over to James sliding into a hole that was behind him. "Dumbledore's home. You can yell at me later. Let's go!" James grabbed Harry's arm roughly and together they all began a fighting retreat, apparating away to the manor as soon as they were clear of the wards. Grindelwald yelled in anger as they escaped and his plans to rule the wizarding world came crashing down around him.


	21. A New Beginning

**CHAPTER 21: A NEW BEGINNING**

**So try as I might, I simply couldn't figure out a way to realistically show all three of Harry's presentations for his masteries, which is why the first part of the chapter seems to go so quick. After that, if you'll notice it seems to slow down, and that's on purpose. This chapter is supposed to show most if not all of Harry's summer activities and unless I wanted a chapter longer than the rest of the story, some things simply had to be cut.**

**June 22nd, 1992**

Harry sat on the train riding back to London thinking of how his life, and mission, had drastically changed in the last year, or more particularly, the last month. After they had rescued Dumbledore, the ICW had only reported to the public that Grindelwald had escaped from Nuremburg. And since the Flamels weren't around to dispute it, he had secretly "bequeathed" a vial of the elixir of life to the real Dumbledore, along with a strong compulsion to drink it. Dumbledore had done so and had thus been given back his near half a century that Grindelwald had stolen from him. Although no one knew how he'd found out, Snape had tendered his resignation to McGonagall the same day that Dumbledore escaped and hadn't been seen or hear from since.

He'd also announced to the world that Voldemort was alive, and their efforts in stopping him had caused Harry and his friends to each receive Order of Merlin's First Class, despite Harry's protests. After that the school year had relatively settled down with Dumbledore announcing that in the coming year, a number of changes would be coming to Hogwarts.

A punch brought him out of his musings and he winced turning to look at an irritated Daphne. "Welcome back to Earth Harry. I've been trying to get your attention for the last five minutes."

"I'm sorry Daph. What did you say?"

"I said, when do you go to Italy to get your Masteries?"

"We leave tomorrow. And I'll open The Sanctuary and Merlin's cove next week on the 1st." Daphne looked thoughtful. "Do you think that it'd be alright if I came with you to Italy?"

"I don't have a problem with it Daphne." Then, seeing the look on Alex's face, he quickly added, "You're more than welcome to join us as well Alex. What about you Hermione? Or you Neville?"

"I'm spending the first few weeks of Summer on vacation with my parents. I think we're going to France this year, otherwise I'd love to come. I've always wanted to see Rome, and even more so after having learned about the magical world. I'm sure that the magical shopping district in Rome is amazing. Did you know that the Romans were the first ones to create and use Muggle Repelling Wards? It's actually pretty fascinating." Harry chuckled at Hermione's red face by the time she had finished saying all that. "Breathe 'Mione. Breathe. Remember, that thing you did when Professor Flitwick gave us permission to do the yearbook?" they all chuckled at the put upon expression on her face before Neville spoke next.

"I'm not sure I will be able to. My gran said something about doing some more training this summer."

"Well, remember to keep up with your physical training as well." After Neville nodded, they sat in silence for a moment. "Anybody want to play a game of exploding snap?" Neville asked after a minute. The rest of the train ride was spent trying to keep their fingers from exploding. For the first time in Harry's two lifetimes, his train ride wasn't disturbed by Malfoy.

James Potter waited as the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station. The last year had been filled with changes in his life, from his son suddenly fixing his magic, to the realization that his son was quite the genius. He had an amazing sense of business and a level of maturity that frankly astounded James. And the world knew it. In just two days his son would become the youngest ever Master of Potions, Ancient Runes and Defense Against the Dark Arts. By doing that he would also become the youngest ever to hold multiple Masteries. Although, he could without having to deal with the press. But that wasn't the only changes. His eleven year old son often seemed to have the maturity of someone twice or even three times his age, and when he thought no one was looking his eyes occasionally took on a haunted look that he had seen in many Auror veterans who had lost close friends or seen one to many battles. It made him think that his son wasn't quite what he appeared to be. His wife, bless her, did not see it.

Lost within his thoughts, James didn't notice that the station was filled parents attempting to find their children and said children were talking loudly with their friends until someone bumped into him. Having been roused from his thoughts, he began to look for his son and his friends, and after a minute James spotted his son standing in the corner near the gate. Catching Mr. Granger's eye, James motioned over to where his son was standing with his two fiancé's as well as his God-brother and Hermione. "Uncle Prongs, where's my dad?" Alex asked as soon as she saw James.

"He's waiting with the rest of the family at Potter Manor. He unfortunately couldn't get away from a meeting with various department heads until just a few minutes ago and decided against trying to fight through the number of people here after dealing with 'insufferable pompous fools' for the entire morning." At that David and Emma both looked at James with the obvious question going unasked. "Both Alex's father, Daphne's father, and myself, and Harry as well as Neville, are Lords of Most Ancient and Noble Houses. Sirius is both a Viscount and a Baron whilst I am an Earl and a Viscount, Daphne's father holds I believe an Earldom and a Barony, and Harry is the Marquis of Godricston, Earl of Herefordshire, and Viscount of Abengale. Neville is also the Lord of the House of Longbottom and I believe he too is both a Viscount and an Earl." The last was directed at Neville who nodded, and both elder Granger's jaws dropped. Their daughter was friends with perhaps the closest thing they would ever see to royalty. "Between all of us, we hold a total of 81 votes, and while we don't always agree on everything, our voting Bloc is currently the most powerful. There are a couple of other houses whom we are allied including the house of Bones. Amelia Bones is the director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the current Regent of the House of Bones who's Neice is the Heir Apparent. They hold an Earldom and a Barony which adds 10 votes to our Bloc, with which on a good day we tend to represent close to half of the voting power of the Wizengamot, the magical version of Parliament. Therefore, our opinion and approval on any laws that the Ministry wants passed means that we are typically very busy-which reminds me Harry, the next round of budget request is due for a final vote in two weeks and as per the charter, you need to be there during at least that session. Also I believe Cornelius wants to meet with you again after we get back from Italy. Amelia and Alastor also want a meeting with you."

"It never stops does it Dad?" Harry mock-groaned to his father, however his friends knew something of the fact that he wanted to revolutionize their world and could see the hidden joy within him at the fact that not only was he one of the most powerful members of the Wizengamot politically, he was also on a first name basis with some of the most influential people in their society. Dan and Emma just looked incredibly confused and overwhelmed which caused James and Harry both to let out a short laugh. "I don't understand how two school boys could have so much power or be on a first name basis with your version of the Prime Minister." Dan finally said after a minute.

"Well, I believe that we have a rather good looking 'Welcome Home' Dinner waiting for us. Dan, Emma, Hermione, you are all more than welcome to join us and I'm sure that we can answer some the questions you have about the differences in our worlds."

"I think we'll do that." Emma said after sharing a brief look with both her daughter and her husband. "We didn't bring our car so how are we all supposed to get there?"

"We'll use the floo. Over here." At that the group gathered up their belongings, and off they went to Potter Manor.

**June 23rd, 1992**

Harry woke up early as was his habit, and after his morning workout, he made breakfast for his family and the Grangers, who'd ended up staying the night. Soon the smell of breakfast had all the Potter's and Grangers plus Daphne and Alex, who would be going with them to Italy, coming down the stairs. After a few more minutes, Harry placed the last Pancake on the table and they all sat down to enjoy their breakfast. Before Harry knew it his father was pushing back his plate and said, "Well, we've got an hour and a half to get to the Ministry for our Portkey to Italy. Dan, Emma, I'll apparate you to your house if you'd like. The rest of you need to be back down here in an hour." That caused James to have to explain what exactly apparation was, and what a portkey was, and Hermione quickly filled her parent in on why they were going to Italy. Meanwhile the rest of the family made their way upstairs to get their trunks that the elves had packed last night and shower. In Harry's case, he sat in his room reviewing what he was going to say to the different committee's. After an hour he made his way back downstairs where he calmly sat talking to his two fiance's before the rest of the family came back down. Once everyone was gathered they floo'd to the Ministry before making their way to the International Travel Office where James picked up their Portkey and at exactly 10 o'clock, they disappeared from Britain.

After landing at the Italian Ministry they quickly checked in, registered their wands, and then made their way to their hotel. After checking in they spent the rest of the day talking with each other and having a good time. They'd made plans to go see the Roman Coliseum the first day after Harry finished his third presentation. Harry in particular enjoyed the feeling of Alex and Daphne pressed up against him as they watched t.v. together on the couch. It was nearly eleven when James sent the three preteens to bed, pretending he didn't see it when Daphne and Alex each kissed Harry's cheeks before he did the same. After he made sure that Harry was in his own bedroom he crawled into bed with his wife.

**June 24th, 1992**

Harry sat in the waiting area of the ICW Presentation room. Today he was presenting his cure for Lycanthropy, this afternoon he would present his runic array, and then finally he would present the Encyclopedia of Defense tomorrow morning. While on the outside he was the picture perfect version of calm, inside he was a mess. Daphne and Alex had each taken him aside this morning to wish him good luck. A good luck that included his first real kiss with either. While neither had lasted very long Harry had, on both occasions, been left stupefied and the girls had walked back into the main room extraordinarily pleased with themselves.

"Lord Peverell-Daniels, they are ready for you." Harry nodded and stood up. Was the next step in his plans to change the wizarding world. He could only hope that the Potions Master's Committee was more open minded then the purebloods and didn't dismiss him because of his age. Entering the room, he looked over and saw the panel of five. "Good Morning Master Potioneers."

The one in the middle, the leader of the Committee, simply nodded back to him before motioning for him to get on with it. "Since nearly two thousand years ago, when the Roman empire was at it's height, our society has been plagued with the curse of Lycanthropy. And for as long as it's been around, Healer's, Potioneer's, and more have all failed to eradicate the source of the curse. The typical approach in the past has been to attempt to 'kill' the genes that carry the curse. When I first began to look for a cure, I too fell into this trap. But then I realized something. The curse simply cannot be killed. With that knowledge I sought to do a little more research and try a new approach. The curse at it's core, it simply a bastardized version of the animagus. So I sought not to kill the curse, but alter it's basic function. Instead of trying to remove the curse, I changed the way it affected those inflicted with it. Through combining the core aspects of the Animagus revealing potion, as well as wolfsbane, combined with a concoction of my own, I was able to change the curse's basic function. Instead of killing the Lycanthropy gene, I simply changed it to that of an Animagus. Twenty five people who were inflicted with Lycanthropy have taken the potion. None have shown any of they typical symptoms of the curse. They hold no reaction to silver, they do not transform on the full moon, and they have the complete ability to transform into a wolf animagus at any time with full control of their actions. Their bite no longer is infectious, and they have the same abilities as any other animagus." The five Master's looked shocked for a minute before one of them began to grin. "I hope you have proof of these claims Lord Peverell-Daniels."

"Yes I do Master Slughorn. Provided in the files that each of you were given is sworn affidavits, the effects, cost, and trial results from the twenty five cured."

"Please excuse us a minute whilst we discuss what we have heard thus far." Slughorn, the Chairman of the Committee said. "Of course Master Slughorn." A silencing ward went up and Harry stood patiently waiting. Contrary to popular belief, the process of determining if one would receive their Master's degree was not a long one. It typically only took a few hours at most as the Master's on the Council were some the most respected and knowledgeable in their arts. Therefore they had an ability to tell based of the information or examples provided whether or not a prospects presentation was truthful, and if it did what they said it would, or in the cases of some, it allowed them to know enough said prospect was knowledgeable enough to receive a Mastery. What typically took so long was the process to come before a master's council. It took, depending on the subject, three to five years of apprenticeship. Potions and Runes were the only two that one could realistically fast-track to the Master's on. Defense Against the Dark Arts was actually a misnomer. Since it was the ICW that gave the masteries, and each country had a different definition of what was defined as a Dark Art. Britain was the most strict in the world, which was also why it had seen so few Defense Masteries in the last fifty years. Harry, if he was successful in receiving said mastery, would become the third person in recent British History to hold such a Mastery. Dumbledore and Moody were the other two.

Harry was only waiting of all thirty minutes before the silencing ward came down. "Lord Peverell-Daniels, we have reviewed the information, and the potion you have supplied us with and it is the opinion of this committee that the results are accurate and that you have successfully created a potion of world changing magnitude. It is therefore our pleasure to award you the Title of Master of Potions and welcome you into the Potions Master's Guild. Congratulation Master Potter, and we look forward to seeing the future potions that you create. We have your certificate of completion of a Mastery, and you'll Potions Master License will be owled to you by the end of the week." Harry shook the hands of the Committee members, received his certificate from Slughorn, posed for a photograph, and then made his way into the waiting area where his family was waiting.

"Well?" Lily demanded as soon as she saw him. In response he grinned widely and showed her his Potion Master's Certificate. Everyone crowded around him each trying to offer him their congratulations. "Alright let the boy breathe guys." James said laughing as he then pulled his son in for a hug as well. Daphne and Alex each grabbed a hand as soon as James let go. "Well, all those nerves have made me hungry. Who else is hungry?" Alex said after a minute with an impish grin. "Oh you were attempting to become the youngest Potions Master in history? I didn't know that." Harry deadpanned. "Well, unlike some people, I don't advertise my achievements in the Dailey Prophet." Alex also deadpanned, causing everyone else to laugh. The rest of the morning was spent walking along the Tibet river after an early Lunch. As Harry had to present his runic array at two, they made their way back to the ICW building his mind going a mile a minute. Somehow, he figured, things would work out.

The rest of the groups week in Italy went by fast and before Harry knew it, it was time to return home. Since their first kiss the day he had received his Runes and Potions Masteries, Harry, Alex, and Daphne had not shared another kiss although both girls had confided in him that they had enjoyed it and to expect plenty more where that came from over the next few weeks.

"Harry, it's time to go." Daphne said as she entered his room. Harry nodded, gathered his trunk, and followed her into the living room. Thankfully they would be portkeying to a private arrival room since Harry was supposed to be opening Merlin's Cove tomorrow morning, and the Sanctuary tomorrow afternoon, and it was well known that they would be returning today. And with it also being well known that Harry would be seeking his Masteries in three separate subjects this week, the press had been dogging the Minister about their return plans. Cornelius however was well used to dealing with the press and understood that none of them wanted to deal with them immediately after returning. After all, for good or ill, the rest of his family needed to be informed before the Prophet was.

Soon everyone had arrived at the Ministry before making their way towards Potter Manor where the rest of the family eagerly awaited the news. As soon as he saw him, Sirius jumped up. "Well? Did you do it?"

"I'm said to say Padfoot… that I received all three of the Masteries!" Sirius screamed yes before bear hugging Harry who was laughing at the look on his face. Remus just calmly came and gave him a hug with a heartfelt pat on the back and a congratulations.

"So what's your next move now?" He asked once everyone had calmed down. "Well, tomorrow morning I open Merlin's Cove and at one the Sanctuary will also open. After that I need to speak with my account manager, make sure that with all this money I've been spending that I'm still making some more money each month. Then there is the Wizengamot meeting and after that I plan to enjoy the rest of my summer vacation."

"Well, if anyone has earned one than you most certainly have. I mean, three masteries before you even turn twelve. I mean, testing out of some of your classes before your first year ended was impressive enough, but you had to go and become the youngest person ever to receive a Mastery in any subject much less three of the hardest to receive a Mastery in."

Harry blushed at the praise from Sirius. "Thanks Sirius." Harry smiled at his family. Everyone in this world that he cared about was here. From Neville to Hermione to his girls and all of their respective immediate family. All of them were here to celebrate an achievement that he was extremely proud of. Granted he'd only been able to do it because he wasn't _actually_ only eleven going on twelve but only he knew that and would ever know it to everyone else he was simply an eleven year old with incredible talent and an amazing amount of power. He only wished that he could at least tell Alex and Daphne.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts Harry spent the rest of the day celebrating with his friends and family. They laughed ate, and had a good time before Harry kissed both Alex and Daphne on the cheek as they floo'd back home with their respective families before retiring to his bedroom to read a book on something that Harry was interested in.

_Because different nations had different definitions of the Dark Arts, one could actually receive a separate Mastery if they displayed enough knowledge and skill. Although it's not actually so much a mastery as it is a title or rather, a group. The Combat Mages._

_Out every certification that was possible to receive, the Combat Mage certification was the hardest. Just to qualify to go undergo the trials one had to have at least two other masteries, and a letter of recommendation from a combat mage. There are no exceptions and only 250 were allowed to exist at a time. Qualifying as a Combat Mage automatically granted one a Mastery in Defense, Charms, and Transfiguration as well as a Mastery that not many people knew existed-Offensive Magic._

_There were varying levels to benefits to being a combat mage. It meant that one answered directly to the ICW and was basically equivalent to being the Head of the D.M.L.E. or each countries version. In times of international or national emergency a Combat Mage could take over as head of those forces. They were the elite. If Special Air Service were the elite Special Force of the Muggle World, then the Combat Mages were the magical worlds equivalent. The last time a combat mage had gone rogue it had taken nearly 100 Aurors to bring him down. None of them had survived the battle._

_The next step after achieving the Combat Mage Certification was to become a Combat Warlock, of which there were only every 15 at a time. It was a life-time appointment. The requirements to even qualify for the trial were so outrageous that only 1 out of every 100 Combat Mages even qualify. And you didn't pass the Trial for Combat Warlock. You either survived or failed and died. Only three times in the last 400 years had there ever been more than one to survive them. On those rare occasions a duel to the death was performed to decide who would be the next Combat Warlock._

_And if the Combat Mages were like the SAS to street cops, then the Combat Warlocks made them look like newborns. They were the ones called to deal with things like Basilisk, or other XXXXX creatures. As far as Harry knew, no one had ever successfully killed a Combat Warlock._

_Combat Mages were the unofficial official armed forces of the ICW. While in times of Crisis they could command its members to provide Aurors, the only standing force that they had were the Combat Mages._

Marking his page, Harry sat the book down and decided to go to bed. Tomorrow would be a long day after all.

**July 1st, 1992**

Harry woke up ready for the day. For months now he had been waiting for this day. The chance to truly bring the Magical World into the modern century. He just hoped that he could do it without losing every tradition that they held dear. Some things needed to change. The magical world _needed_ the muggle-borns. But the issue that many purebloods had with muggleborns was that they came into the magical world expecting it to be exactly like the muggle one and thought aspects of it were barbaric. That just couldn't be allowed either. Their traditions had held them together as a society right up until Voldemort. He was the first truly homegrown terrorist that Magical Britain had ever had to deal with on their own shores. Every other wannabe Dark Lord had been easily handled by the Aurors. What had made Voldemort so successful was that he didn't fight in normal warfare like others had. He fought in the shadows and through assassination. He'd been able to gather so many followers because people were tired of losing their traditions. Something that Dumbledore had already promised to reverse at Hogwarts. Hogwarts would take time, and most importantly, money to fix. Something that Harry was going to use the stone to help with. He was also going to push for more research into muggle-borns. While he was all for allowing them, and indeed using their inventions when it made life easier, he was also well aware that for each Muggleborn brought into the magical world, and with technology growing greater and greater, the risk for discovery was even higher. That meant that they, as a society, couldn't afford to have their young uneducated about the way of the muggle world.

"Harry? If you're up you need to come eat something so we can go to Hogsmeade." A voice floated up the stairs towards his room. "I'm coming!" Resolving to think on this more later, Harry got out of bed and made his way down the stairs.

A quick breakfast later followed by an ever quicker shower, Harry was once more downstairs ready to go and change the wizarding world once more. Five minutes later Harry stood outside the gates of Merlin's Cove as Witches, Wizards and their children began to line up. "Harry! It's great to see you again!" The sound of that voice in Harry's old world would have had him cringing, in this one, it simply brought a smile to his face. "Cornelius, so glad you could make it." Harry turned and gladly took the offered hand that the Minister gave him. Both of them ignored the flashing camera of the press who were here already. "Do you think that you might have a bit of time to discuss something with me? Concerning what we talked about earlier in the year?" the Minister asked him criptically.

"Of course. I have to be here for at least the first hour after I open the Cove, and then I also have the Sanctuary to open later at one. So would three this afternoon work? I won't have anything else to do for the day so we should be free to take however long we need to."

"Three will work. Shall I meet you at Potter Manor, or would you rather come to the Ministry?"

"I think it might be better if you came to Potter Manor."

"Very well, I shall see you again at three if I don't manage to make it to the opening of the Sanctuary. I'll take no more of your time as it's late and nearly time for you to open the Cove."

"Thank you. I'll see you again this afternoon." Harry and Cornelius shook hands once more before Harry made his way to the top of the small platform that had been made for him, while the Minister made his way into the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming. I'll just say a few quick words, take a couple of questions, and then we'll get to the real reason we are all here.

"As many of you know, when I was a baby, I was misdiagnosed as a squib due to a rare condition that caused my magical core to turn on itself. What many of you don't know is that in fear of my parents rejecting me-a baseless fear as it turns out- I sought ways to survive outside of my family. On one of my trips into the muggle world I saw something. A place where kids of all ages, and parents of those kids were able to go and have fun, free from the burdens of the world. When I underwent the procedure to fix my core, and realized that I could in fact stay in this world, I decided to bring that place of joy with me. And so the idea for Merlin's Cove was born. I wanted a place where kids could go be kids, and parents could forget about the worries of the world, even if just for a few hours. And so this amusement park that you see before you was born out of that dream. It is purposely designed to be fun and relaxing to Witches and Wizards of all ages, not just children.

"Now as I said I'll just say a few words, and that'll be that. I'll take a few questions now." Harry randomly pointed at an elaborately dressed witch. "Janet Frazier with International Daily, Lord Peverell-Daniels, you recently went before three Master's councils. Have you received the results yet?"

"Janet, May I call you Janet?" Without waiting for a nod Harry continued. "I'll be releasing a press statement sometime this week with those results, until then I will confirm neither my success or failure to whichever the case might be. I will also not answer any further questions on the subject until I release that information. Next question." And so Harry ended up spending an hour talking with the press before he finally said enough is enough.

"Alright, that'll be it. No more questions for now. Now, I believe the time has come to open this place up so without further adieu," here Harry pulled out his wand and cast a light severing charm at the ribbon that held the gates tied shut. "I now declare Merlin's Cove is open for business." Applause met his statement and he grinned as he watched families go rushing in. The next hour passed by for him rather quickly and before he was aware of it, it was time for him to go and open the Sanctuary. Since he had already answered a lot of questions that morning, he kept the questions prior to opening the gates short. Around two thirty he found himself once more in Potter Manor waiting for the Minister and Amelia to arrive. He was going to surprise them with their other guest. Dumbledore. Soon enough his three guest had arrived and James led them to his study.

"So Minister, you requested the meeting. Perhaps you should start."

"Very well. Since our last discussion, I've had Franklin combing the records with a fine tooth comb, looking for anything that could help us now, rather than long term. He found twenty eight million galleons in unobligated funding that has since expired-which means it can't be used by the various departments that it was originally appropriated to. The reason that we haven't found this money before now was because when the Wizengamot passes an appropriation bill it includes a one year carryover. After that year, the unspent money from the various departments becomes expired and cannot be spent by those departments. Therefore Gringotts removes that money from those accounts and deposits them into a separate account. It is apparently the job of the Chief Financial Officer to inform the Minister of the account, but someone along the way didn't."

"Even still, shouldn't Gringotts have sent you an annual report on the status of the account?"

"Apparently Franklin never saw them, or they were lost in the shuffle. I've already inquired with Gringotts about it though. I've only been Minister since 1990, so we should have had the one from last year and then one that's due at the end of the month. We're going to wait until the end of the month when the next carryover expires to pull that money back in."

"So what does this do for the overall budget?"

"It means we can do two things. Keep the budget at about the same amount for next year, or we can increase spending for the needed departments. Not many people are aware, but the Department of Mysteries isn't only about research. That's just their public face. Sure they actually do research as well but most of their budget is actually for Intelligence and our own version of the SAS only by far more secret. No one knows of their existence, except the members, the head of the department, and the Minister. And know you four as well."

"And let me guess, you'd like to use the extra funds to cover some of the debt cost over a period of time so as to cut how much is appropriated for debt spending by the Wizengamot, thereby freeing up funding for those teams?" Harry asked having a good idea of what the Minister was asking.

Cornelius grinned and nodded. "With Grindelwald out there, and by your own words Voldemort still being out there even with Amelia shoring up our Auror Corps, we're still going to need them. Like I said they also provide intelligence."

The group went silent as they pondered what Cornelius had said. "I think we should do that. Unless I'm mistaken the budget for Fiscal Year 1992 was around 18 million galleons which is a record low. It's less than a fourth of the budget right after the Great War. That was the point in which the Ministry was the strongest. From the records we could find, even though the annual budget was only eighty million galleons-well what would be eighty million today- taxes during and for three years after the war brought in around hundred million."

"From what I remember of that time we paying about fifteen percent in taxes. The massive amount of Aurors, and the need for war supplies meant that nearly everyone could easily find employment of some kind right out of Hogwarts."

"Now days Muggleborns find it extremely hard to get gainful employment, causing many of them to return to the Muggle world which means less taxpayers for Magical Britain."

"Part of that is the extreme restrictions that the Purebloods managed to get passed during the Dark War. The other part of that is that with the ministry budget so low each year and the purebloods in control of the government they have been able to keep Muggleborns from getting jobs in the Ministry."

"Something that we're planning on changing." Harry said causing all of the group to look at him. "I'm planning on putting together a bill that if it passes will prohibit _all_ departments of the Ministry from hiring based on blood status. I'm also working a bill that I hope to have ready to present to the full Wizengamot that prohibits employers from not hiring those who have been formerly afflicted with Lycanthropy. Of course that's after the cure is announced tomorrow at my press conference."

"That's… actually really smart. Why didn't I think of that?" James looked thoughtful. "Both are passable right now. With the news that Grindelwald is out there once more, even the Traditionalist are smart enough to realize we don't have the power to stop him if he starts trying to rebuild his army. They won't fight a bill right now that ups the Ministry's manpower."

"Especially since this coming term at Hogwarts will be much different to what any of them experienced. I'm bringing back all the classes that Grindelwald got rid of. I'm also doing a complete overhaul of the school and it's facilities. It's going to cost a lot of money but I'm hoping that my changes will encourage more parents to send their kids to Hogwarts instead of one of the other schools."

"I can help with that. Part of the funding bill removes all funding from the Ministry Schools. If you balance out the tuition cost at Hogwarts then more muggleborns will attend. Especially if the Ministry provides funding for those disadvantaged Muggleborns."

"That's actually something I wanted to bring up." Harry cut in. "I don't think that muggleborns are actually muggleborn. I think they are the generations removed children of squibs. Before families started kicking squibs out, there was almost no magicals born to those of non magical blood. What if in the funding bill, we include Inheritance tests for all incoming Muggleborns and those still in the magical world?"

"That-could work. It would revive a lot of Ancient Houses that have long been thought extinct. That would certainly put a lot more money in circulation-thereby increases tax revenue."

"Not only that but with one of the classes I'm planning on bringing back-and making mandatory for all students-Wizarding Tradition and Culture- it will appease some of the more moderate traditionalist enough that they might actually acknowledge the muggleborns that are a part of their house."

Harry grinned as he looked around at the people in the study. It was long past time to change the wizarding world and include those of muggle descent. Cornelius looked giddy at thought of how quickly his dreams for a unified Magical Britain were coming. The group continued their discussion until Lily came up to inform them that dinner was done. James offered each of them to stay for dinner and, gladly accepting, their conversations turned to less political, but no less important topics.

**So this chapter had a lot of dialogue in it, and that was on purpose. One cannot change their society without a lot of discussion. I've also decided that I will continue this work in pieces, while working on another story that has captured my imagination. I've tied a lot of what will be the main focus of that story into this one to see how the reaction is to it. A traditionalist Harry who is still 100% accepting of Muggleborns and simply wants them to embrace their new world. What do you think of that? I've also changed the rating to T as I figure I will end this story before it starts getting into Mature themes such as extreme violence and suggestive content. You'll find all that in the sequel I will do. The rest of this story will definitely take a more political turn as Harry shifts focus from Hogwarts to the rest of the Wizarding World. I've got some surprises along that front planned for the next chapter. This story will run right up to the end of Harry's third year and the rest will be covered in the as of yet unnamed sequel that I will do. Since Fourth year is when Voldemort returns ending one chapter of Harry's life right before it seems fitting. Discussion for another time. I can't give away all my plans for this series now can I?**


	22. Summer of 1992

**CHAPTER 22: SUMMER OF 1992**

**Apologies for the delay in getting this chapter out. As everyone is aware the world has gone crazy over the last few months over Covid-19. Anyways here is the rest of the chapter. So here it is. The remainder of Harry's summer after first year.**

**July 2****nd****, 1992**

Harry woke with a start, leftover images from his dream about how the war in his original world still flashing through his mind. "Not here. I won't allow it to happen." He muttered to himself before getting out of bed and conducting his morning routine. After his shower, and with over an hour before breakfast would likely need to be started, he made his way into the office that his father had set aside for his use. Because he was emancipated, and technically the Lord of two houses, James had understood that somethings that Harry would deal with would be related to those two houses specifically and therefore he'd need his own office to conduct house business. Which had led to him working on converting a room near his own office into another study for Harry, in which only Harry had unfiltered access.

Sitting down at his desk, Harry opened the first folder in his to-do file. Intelligence reports. Since the day he'd arrived in this world, Harry had understood that somethings were different. Case in point was the Minister actually being a good man trying to revolutionize their world. Meaning while his knowledge of how events would work for the most part was useful, but it was also not entirely reliable. That meant he needed to establish a network. So he'd gone to the one person he knew could be counted on, and the only person who was likely to know he was from another world. Luna Lovegood. And he was right. She had instantly identified him as having existed on another plane originally and still recognized the Master of Death title that had been bestowed upon him when he had originally united the Hallows. Given that he was barred from saying anything by death, he'd allowed Luna to tell her father that he wasn't from this universe, thereby successfully working around his gag order. Once Xeno had understood the seriousness of the situation, he'd instantly agreed to run his spy ring, confiding in him that for years he'd already been building a network of semi-agents across Europe and parts of Asia. And now with Harry secretly funding him, Xeno had begun actively recruiting agents, including former members of the Department of Mysteries. Those handful of agents had in turn trained almost a dozen more over the course of the year since Harry's arrival. And as of now, they were each either in a position of importance, had were working a source that was. So far, Harry had only one agent actually stationed in Britain not counting Xeno or the trainers. The majority of the 15 agents he actually had-again not counting Xenophillius or the trainers- were stationed in mainland Europe. France, Spain, and Germany. Magical Britains biggest natural enemies. Unfortunately none of them had Diplomatic Covers which meant they had to be extra cautious. Which meant that unless it was of a highly dangerous, and time sensitive nature, the agents reported directly to the station chief of their country, whom reported to Xeno, who placed the reports embedded into the Quibbler. The Station Chief of France had sent in a coded Emergency message last night which had caused Xeno to have to break protocol of putting his reports in the Quibbler. Grindelwald had apparently paid a visit to one of his old Generals who was hiding out in France. That worried Harry. If Grindelwald was going to be actively rebuilding his army, and with Voldemort still being out there, Harry was going to have his hands full. Sighing, he wrote a quick letter to Xeno to order him to try and increase their active agents from 15 to 30 within the next few months.

Harry's next order of business was to review his own personal budget. Over the last year since his arrival, Harry had forked out a lot of galleons, and he wanted to make sure that he was still turning a profit. He'd used his knowledge of the future, specifically companies that were created around this time that ended up going big to invest nearly every bit of gold left in the vault that this world's original Harry had. 14 million Galleons later and he was projected to more than quadruple that within three years. Between those, Marauders Inc, and his other projects like The Sanctuary and Merlin's Cove, he was, or rather would be drawing in over forty million galleons a year, although over twenty of it was the projected income from his Investments and the Cove and Sanctuary. However, since some of the biggest sources of his income had only just opened, their revenue was projected, and over all, he had taken a heavy short term loss in favor of the long term profits. So even though he was financially sound, he actually had spent double his profits this year easy, although if the projected income from the Sanctuary and Merlin's Cove were even remotely close, he'd have made a full recovery within a year, two max provided he didn't engage in anymore extremely costly endeavors, something he couldn't be completely sure about given what projects he was already funding.

By the time that the budgeting was done, and Harry had had a chance to review the reports from their other agents in the quibbler, it was time for breakfast and Harry was worried. While no one else had broken protocol, former members of Grindelwald's army had been spotted all across the continent in ones and twos. Nothing so public as to be noticed by the host countries, but enough that he was worried about the Dark Army making a comeback. They needed those Aurors now, not by the world cup. Unfortunately, with the damage done to Hogwarts, specifically the DADA and Potions, the extra training that the Aurors were required to go through limited the amount that could attend the academy by a third. And with the qualifications still being relatively high, it meant that each year less and less people applied for the academy.

As Harry made his way downstairs for breakfast he continued his previous chain of thought. He hated to do it, but he feared the only way they were going to increase their aurors was to recall any and all recent retires. Given the extended lifespan of magicals, they tended to retire at a much later age normally. Except with the case of Aurors and Hitwizards. Given the highly dangerous nature of their job, most of those who reached half retirement, thirty years, tended to retire then. Only a few, like Moody, continued to stay on past that. If he was doing his mental math right, they could probably recall at most, 100 Aurors and Hitwizards.

"Good morning Harry." The voices of his two fiances broke him out of his thoughts.

"Good morning Alex, Daphne. What are you two doing here?"

"Someone wanted to see if you were to busy to go out to the theatre and see this new film that's just come out. I don't know what it's called though." Daphne was the one who replied to him.

"Of course. The Wizengamot isn't meeting until Monday the sixth, and for the most part I've already finished reviewing everything that's on that's supposed to be coming up for a vote."

"Good. So the movie starts at one this afternoon. Wanna hang until then?"

"Of course." After that Harry gave each of his siblings a hello, and then gave his mum a kiss on the cheek before giving his dad a one armed hug and then sitting down and enjoying the breakfast that was before him. Yes the addition of Grindelwald and the freeing of Dumbledore changed his plans, but for now, he could pretend to be the nearly twelve year old boy that he pretended to be.

()()()()()()()()

**0800 July 6****th****, 1992**

**Wizengamot Chambers, Ministry of Magic, UK**

The next couple of days went by pretty quickly for Harry as he split his time between working on the bills he wanted to present to the Wizengamot and his girls. He also spent a day working with Neville who would also be present for the meeting today. Neville knew nearly as much as Daphne and Alex did about his wants for a better world, and they had agreed that it was time for the first official alliance of the Peverell-Daniels clan to be signed and present to the Wizengamot. The Longbottom's had historically been allies of the Potter family since time immemorial and although Harry was still technically a Potter, he was also the Head of Two houses who were very weak in official alliances. Yes he had the Black-Greengrass alliances but a House with only two allies is a house that does not stand according to his grandfather's journal. And now Harry found himself entering the Wizengamot chamber for the first time to fulfill his role in this world.

"Hear ye, hear ye, I call this session of the Wizengamot, July 6th, 1992 to order. The Honorable Chief Warlock Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore presiding. Close the doors!" The clerk called out as the doors boomed shut, officially starting Harry's first Wizengamot meeting.

"We have several items on the agenda today. I believe however that Lord Peverell-Daniels and Lord Longbottom have an alliance contract to share so. Lord Peverell-Daniels you have the floor."

"Thank you Chief Warlock. It is my pleasure to announce that the Houses of Peverell-Daniels and the House of Longbottom have signed an alliance and are now sworn blood brothers. When you threaten one house you threaten both, so I say, so mote it be." Harry sat back down and nodded to Dumbledore.

"Thank You Lord Peverell-Daniels. Is there any other points of order prior to this body starting today's docket?" No one stood up. "Very well then. Per the Charter of Albion, the Minister has submitted his budget request for the next fiscal year to this body. Discussions have been finished in the last session and all amendments are completed so it now goes to this body for it's final vote. Voting is now open and will close in ten minutes." Dumbledore banged the gavel and slowly the volume in the room rose as people quickly placed their vote and then began talking to their neighbor. Harry looked across the room and saw his father sitting beside Amelia and nodded to him. "Good morning Lord Peverell-Daniels." A voice from behind him spoke.

"Thank you Cornelius and a good morning to you as well. Did you receive the letter I sent to you the other day?"

"I did and I want to thank you for informing me. I've already scheduled an Emergency meeting with the ICW for tomorrow. Don't worry, they will not have any knowledge of where I received the information from. I saw that you submitted your proposals yesterday. We do have a large docket today however and I'm not sure if we will get to them, at least to a final vote."

"I don't expect us to do so today. My father can vote for them in my stead at the next meeting should that be required, but he could not present them as he is not the original author, merely a sponsor of the bill."

"Indeed. From what I've heard, Mr. Malfoy was very upset with them being added to the docket. He attempted to have me remove them, but I was able to convince him that it simply cannot be done with such a powerful alliance backing it. I fear that he is beginning to realize that I do not truly share the same beliefs that he has."

"Do not worry Minister. From what I understand, Amelia will have him in cuffs by the end of my second year at Hogwarts. In fact, I can promise you that with everything I own. With our situation having been resolved and it being a matter of a waiting game now, she should be able to have that issue resolved by the end of the year. In fact, perhaps we should put together a bill saying that anyone previously accused of being a Death Eater who is brought up on new charges of any kind of similar nature to the things that they were known to do would be subject to Veritaserum."

"Hmm. Perhaps that is a good idea. I'll get my people on figuring out if we'd have enough support for that. But for now it appears that the voting is done or nearly so and I must return to my seat."

"Have a good day Minister."

"You as well Lord Peverell-Daniels."

No sooner had Harry returned to his seat than Dumbledore began to bang on the gavel. "With a vote of 101-79-20 the Budget request for Fiscal year of 1993 has passed. We now will move on to the next item on the agenda. A bill submitted Lord Diggory regarding the importation of Flying carpets." Harry tuned the majority of the session out after that before Dumbledore caught his attention again.

"We will vote on the measure by Lord Nott to increase the restrictions to those who are suffering with Lycanthropy following an hour long recess for lunch. This body will reconvene at 1300." Another bang on the gavel and Harry rose from his seat with his bottom more sore than it had been in a while. After a quick stretch Harry was able to feel his legs somewhat and began to make his way to his father who stood waiting on the other side of the chambers. Once he got close however, he could see his father was deep in conversation with someone he didn't know and since it looked quite serious, Harry simply stood still waiting for them to finish. "Hey pup, looks like your dad is tied up with Lord Odgen. What you say that we go ahead and go get lunch at the cafeteria while we wait?" Sirius said as he came up behind Harry.

"Sounds good Padfoot. Thanks." Turning Harry followed Sirius to the cafeteria on the first floor where he ordered a lunch of fish and chips. A little while later he followed Sirius back into the chambers. Now his nerves were starting to get to him. His Muggleborn Inheritance Test bill would be up for discussion after the vote on the bill by Amos Diggory. It was a well known, but oft ignored fact that Muggleborns really didn't exist, they had to have at least some magical ancestry. Hermione for example was really a Dagworth-Granger from three generations removed. It was funny how that worked.

Dumbledore banging the gavel brought him back to the present. "We will now vote on whether or not to lift the ban on flying carpets in Europe. The voting will period will last ten minutes." Ten excruciatingly long minutes later and with the bill to lift the ban having not received enough votes Harry was finally called upon to discuss his bills.

"Thank you chief warlock. Milords and Ladies, for generations now we have dealt with Werewolves. For generations they have been discriminated against because of their affliction. Now that a cure exists however, I see no reason to discriminate against those who used to suffer from that horrid curse. This bill will ensure that potential employers and those who were formerly afflicted with Lycanthropy will have a support network. I urge you to support and pass this bill. Allow those cured to become truly productive members of our society.

"The second of my bills is perhaps one of the most important bills to be voted on in this chamber since we voted to assist in the war with Grindelwald. For generations our ancient houses have been getting weaker and weaker. We know, that magicals are different at a fundamental level to muggles. This gene, that separates us and gives us the ability to access magic, is scientifically impossible to be produced by two muggles. It is a little known fact that unless they had a magical ancestor, it is impossible for two muggles to produce a magical child. My own mother is a prime example of this. A descendant of the forgotten house of Daniels. With this bill, we can revive some our houses that have long been thought extinct. The house of Daniels is but one house that could return. I urge this body to pass this bill for the good of our society. If every incoming muggleborn and halfblood were to have an inheritance test completed, imagine how many houses would be revived! Imagine how many long lost families and magical knowledge could be rediscovered! With this bill, for the first time in over two hundred years we could have an heir to every magical house. This would not only increase the amount of magical families once more active in our world, but would also increase the amount of tax revenue that the ministry produces. I simply cannot understate the importance of revitalizing our ancient houses. Avalon used to be one of the most powerful magical communities in the world. We were the envy of every country. Now, we have only half of the amount of active houses that we did just a hundred years ago! So, for the safety of our future, I urge you to pass this bill. Thank you."

Harry sat back down to tremendous applause. No one wanted the Noble houses to die out, but everyone was aware that they were heading that way. By revitalizing house long thought dead, not only would they be able to prevent that, but the amount of magical knowledge that was safely tucked away at Gringotts that would be brought back into the open, they knew the country could reclaim it's place as the most powerful among the magical countries. Harry smiled, another step towards a better future was all but ensured.


	23. Chapter 23 exert and authors note

I have no intentions of dropping the story. I'm simply stuck on where I want to go next. I have my end goal and I have a general idea of how I'm going to get there, but as far as actually which twists and turns I'm going to have over the next few chapters? Not a clue. See Harry's supposed to destroy Voldemort once he come back. But that doesn't happen until fourth year. Until then Harry has to destroy the Horcruxes, change Wizarding Society and build up a power base. But the more Harry changes, the less his knowledge from the future is useful. Already, he's got to go under the real Dumbledore's nose now in order to ensure that Neville is actually entered into the tournament among many other changes, including the chamber of secrets.

All that said, at this point, I'm still trying to figure out a way to have more action in the story, less political drama, while at the same time assimilating the changes he's already enacted. If he does this how does this change etc. I'm also hung up on how to effectively use Harry's school time now that he's tested out of so many classes. Do I make him the DADA teacher? An assistant? Potions teacher? He's already planning to be McGonagall's apprentice, how much more can he realistically take on?

When I adopted this story, I planned to even Harry out as far as his powers as I didn't want him to be incredibly rich, smart, powerful, and politically such a shark. Unfortunately by choosing to pick up this story where the Author left it, with minimal changes, has left me with so many paths to take while at the same time having so few as well. So for right now, it's just on hold pending a rewrite of a couple of chapters.

But since you can't have pure authors notes, please enjoy the brief exert from the next chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 23 exert: A New Year, A New Teacher**

**July 1st, 1992**

Harry sat in his office once again reviewing reports from his various agents among others. The last week had seen his bills passed and surprising number of Muggleborns had already been tested. The amount of gold now flowing through the economy was well above the projected numbers. Filing his taxes was harder than Harry had expected since he'd had a net negative for the year had somehow meant he'd owed about a million in taxes, probably from the interest payments in the Peverell and Daniels vaults.

"Harry, Albus is here to see you!"

"Just a minute!" Harry shouted back as he quickly hid all the latest information reports in his secure drawer, and closed the files with everything else in them. Exactly sixty seconds later he opened the door to his office and made his way downstairs to where his mother and the Headmaster stood waiting. "Albus, it's good to see you. I thought you'd be rather busy at Hogwarts getting everything ready for the letters to go out since you've made so many changes this year."

"Indeed, I am rather busy but not too busy to come and see the young man who had a large hand in my rescue from Nurmengard." While his words made it seem like a social visit, his tense body and tight eyes made it rather clear that it was anything but. "Please, we can talk more in my study. Mum, would you mind getting the professor and I some tea and biscuits please?"


End file.
